Goalkeeper Dean Henderson has impressed with his attitude as much as his ability since his move to Nottingham Forest in the summer.
The Manchester United loanee has caught the eye with some stunning saves, including one to deny Virgil Van Dijk late on in last weekend’s victory over Liverpool. But head coach Steve Cooper has been just as pleased with Henderson’s dedication to improve and the commitment he has shown to his loan club.
Henderson has previously spoken openly about a tough 12 months at Old Trafford, having felt he “wasted” a year of his career by not playing. The lure of regular football was a big draw when the Reds were pursuing his signature, with trying to earn a place in the England squad for next month's World Cup no doubt on his mind.
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However, Cooper insists the 25-year-old's only focus for the time being is on doing his best for Forest as they try to climb the Premier League table. And having kept two clean-sheets on the bounce, he will head to Arsenal on Sunday in good spirits.
“He has definitely bought into the greater good of the club and the city," the Reds boss said of Henderson. "He moved here quickly, which is a good sign.
"Even though we are quite central here, you probably still do need to live in Nottingham - and the players do, which is always a good thing because it’s less travel. Sometimes it can be good and sometimes it can be bad!
"But he’s definitely committed to being here, in terms of setting up shop, if you like, his home base, and also giving himself the best chance every day to improve. For me, that is the bit which has impressed me the most.
"The big selling point for us, in trying to get him here when we had the initial meeting with him, was that he was coming here to be the number one. Of course you have to not just earn that, but also earn the right to keep it as well.
“He gets great support from Wayne Hennessey and Jordan Smith, and we've got a younger keeper, Adnan (Kanuric), in now as well. He’s got some good characters around him in the other goalkeepers. He’s got a good environment around him, both with the team and the goalkeepers as well.
“He works hard every day, but that’s a non-negotiable. But the only thing in my mind and in his mind, is to play well at Arsenal and keep a clean-sheet if he can.
“He can definitely keep the ball out of the net with some big saves. We've seen that. Goalkeepers now, if they are playing in the Premier League regularly, they can do most things really well. Dean is a good example of that.
"What's impressive with Dean has been his mindset to improve. He’s quite self-critical and he’ll hold his hands up, literally, if he feels he can do something better. I like that in a footballer, not just a goalkeeper.
"For me, what I like - because maybe I'm not the expert in how he does this or that in goalkeeping terms - is his attitude to improve. He is a real positive influence around the place."
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