Tomasz Kuszczak believes that new manager Erik ten Hag should do everything he can to keep Dean Henderson at Manchester United.
Henderson's future at Old Trafford has been cast into doubt ahead of the summer transfer window as the goalkeeper has hardly played this season, with just three appearances to his name. That is owed to the excellent, undroppable form of David de Gea but doesn't make it any less frustrating for a player who wants regular football.
The United academy graduate looked destined to usurp De Gea as No.1 as he started 10 of the last 12 Premier League games last season and the Spaniard's disastrous performance in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal only helped his case. However, a nasty bout with Covid-19 in the summer meant Henderson was sidelined and couldn't cement his spot at the start of the season. Instead, the door was left open for De Gea who then roared back to his best.
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As a result, there has been growing speculation that Henderson could leave in the off-season, either on loan or permanently, but fellow goalkeeper Kuszczak believes United must do all they can to keep two quality options between the sticks.
"Teams need to have two or three really good goalkeepers and it's difficult as someone is always going to be disappointed," the Pole told MEN Sport, with Bet365. "I've been in this situation for six years - I was really patient.
"You’ve just got to remember the bigger picture and that you’re a great comfort to the manager. He knows if one of you goes off form, he's got a strong backup.
"Last season, Dean did a great job and Ole gave him games. But obviously, if you've got two keepers like them who both want to play a full season, it's not always going to be the choice of the manager.
"I've been in this situation with Edwin [Van der Sar]. I get a longer spell in goal, build confidence, match fitness, then Edwin would come back and I'm back on the bench. You need a strong mentality, but the manager will be looking out for the best interests of the team, and he'll want them both there next season.
"If Dean did decide to leave, we'd have to sign another Number 1 to replace him. Man United have effectively two Number 1's and of course, that's always going to be difficult to manage. The club need to do everything in their power to keep him, give him a few games like Ole did. But at the moment, United have far bigger problems than goalkeepers."
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