Dean Henderson has been told he needs to head out on loan from Manchester United next season in order to become England’s first-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup.
Having been right in the mix with Jordan Pickford last summer, Henderson has dropped out of contention both at international and club level. With David de Gea in superb form for United this season, the academy graduate has made just three appearances in 2021/22.
Having been left frustrated by his lack of opportunities, Henderson came close to departing on loan in January, only to see a move away blocked by United. He has since been tipped to leave Old Trafford in the summer, with a move looking vital to his World Cup chances.
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Henderson missed out on England’s run to the Euro 2020 final through injury and has since dropped down the pecking order in Gareth Southgate’s side. Former England boss Glenn Hoddle has called for the 25-year-old to leave Old Trafford in order to boost his chances for Qatar.
“We also have an abundance of talented goalkeepers, Dean Henderson isn't going to be playing regularly for Manchester United,” Hoddle told Betfair. “I think that it is pretty evident that he is going to have to go on loan somewhere and play because it looks like David de Gea is going to be ahead of him.
“There's no outstanding candidate at the moment, Jordan Pickford has been in control of the number one shirt but I believe there's going to be a real challenge from the rest of the goalkeepers to try and take his place.
“Pickford is in control and it's down to him to be consistent and there's a lot going on at his club. I think the number one spot will go down to the wire.”
Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo is set for his fifth World Cup this year as he looks to add the missing piece to his impressive winner's medal collection. He’ll be heading to Qatar along with long-time rival Lionel Messi in what could be the pair’s final outing at the tournament.
“It's going to be exciting to see Messi and Ronaldo play on the world stage, I hope they go deep into the tournament,” Hoddle added. “You want them going as far as they can go because they're wonderful players to watch and in this past decade they have been the top two players without any shadow of a doubt.
“It would be interesting to see them come up against each other, they have a great rivalry and I'd love to see them play each other in the knockouts, that would ignite the tournament.”
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