Dean Henderson Ready to Battle David de Gea for Man Utd Starting Spot

Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has warned David de Gea that he will put the Spaniard under immediate pressure in the battle to become United's starting goalkeeper.

After months of rumours linking Henderson with a move away, the 23-year-old put pen to paper on a new five-year contract at Old Trafford as a sign of both his desire and belief that he is ready to start for United.

There have been calls from many fans for Henderson to be immediately promoted to the starting lineup over De Gea, who endured an inconsistent 2019/20 campaign, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has publicly admitted that he plans to stick with De Gea going forward.

“Listen, David has been a great goalkeeper for years," Henderson told The Times. "He’s been a phenomenal servant for the club.

"That’s something I aspire to be — to have a career like him at the club, so I’ll be working my socks off to get in that starting line-up because it’s something I’ve always wanted. I’m so close now. I’m not going to give up. I’m going to put the pressure on.

“I respect David. I know what challenges are going to be. I’m well up for it. You can get many things from training and learn off someone like David and the other goalkeepers and coaches. But I don’t think there’s any substitute for game time. Coming off a good season with momentum, it wouldn’t be clever for me to sit around and not play.”

A concern for Henderson is that a lack of game time will harm his chances of playing for England. He is yet to make his international debut but is seen by many as the first-choice starter for the Three Lions, and Henderson admitted being United's number two would likely be problematic.

"I’m working hard to be Gareth [Southgate’s] number one but I know I’ve got to get past two very good goalkeepers," he said. "I’m still fighting for my first cap.

"I want to play for England and I want to play for Manchester United. So I’m just going to keep overcoming my little challenges, [reaching] my little goals and I’m sure one day I’ll get to where I want to be.

“I feel like a new signing at Man United. I haven’t been in the building for five years. [When I joined Grimsby at 19] I said, ‘At 23, I’ll go back and that’ll be my time’. I knew what I needed to do. I knew what I needed to tick off before I got there.”

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