'They now sing England's number one' - Henderson's rise against the odds

Dean Henderson said he knew which measurement Omar Marmoush was going to put his punishment successful nan FA Cup final.

Maybe it was down to his preparation.

Maybe it was down to his years arsenic an outfielder successful Carlisle's academy.

Maybe it was down to his clip astatine Shrewsbury for whom he saved a spot-kick successful a Wembley play-off final.

Whatever it was, Henderson produced an FA Cup-final capacity for nan ages - surviving a video adjunct referee (VAR) red-card check, stopping a penalty, and pulling disconnected a hatful of apical saves to thief Crystal Palace triumph their first ever awesome trophy.

It is nan highest of nan 28-year-old's career.

But really he sewage present is communicative of a accelerated emergence and plentifulness of setbacks.

Henderson was calved successful Whitehaven, a municipality of astir 25,000 group connected nan north-west seashore 40 miles from Carlisle.

Growing up his 2 brothers, 1 of them six years older and nan different a twelvemonth his senior, would return shots astatine him successful nan garden., external

But it was arsenic an outfielder he was initially scouted by Carlisle United astatine 8 years old.

"At astir under-11s nan goalkeeper didn't show up for 1 of nan games," said erstwhile Carlisle Under-15s adjunct coach David Hughes.

"He conscionable jumped successful extremity and took nan spot. From location it conscionable rolled. He was intelligibly a natural."

Eventually settling betwixt nan sticks, Henderson and his dada would make nan two-and-a-half-hour information travel to Carlisle's academy up to 5 times a week.

At 14 he was playing pinch nan property group above. In nan summertime he would train alongside Carlisle's first-team goalkeepers.

"He was technically nan champion subordinate astatine nan nine and everybody was alert of who he was. Newcastle were aft him astatine that point," added Hughes.

"He was small, he was undersized. We were conscionable waiting for him to deed that maturation spurt to spell to nan adjacent level.

"He was highly dedicated. It's not ever guaranteed that it's going to activity out. The kid evidently had a batch of talent, but it takes a batch much than talent to get to nan level he's sewage to."

A puerility Manchester United fan, Henderson secured his dream move to nan Old Trafford club's academy aged 14, though it meant he had to move distant from his family and unrecorded successful accommodation organised by nan club.

He had 2 short indebtedness spells astatine Stockport County and Grimsby Town, but it was astatine League One Shrewsbury successful 2017, aged 20, erstwhile he first made his name.

"He was rather a flamboyant character, loved by nan location fans and had a knack of winding up nan distant supporters," said BBC Radio Shropshire sports presenter Nick Southall.

"He was self-confident, yes, but he didn't person immoderate benignant of ego. He took to life astatine Shrewsbury. Moving from Manchester possibly pinch his ain upbringing he felt much astatine location pinch a slower, much agrarian life.

"He was personification that everybody warmed to. He was very prolific connected societal media astatine nan clip and did a batch of activity pinch nan Shrewsbury foundation.

"He was arsenic bully arsenic Joe Hart and he seemed to thrive disconnected fans' power - particularly astatine Wembley."

Despite Shrewsbury's mini budget, nan nine reached some nan EFL Trophy and League One play-off finals successful 2017-18.

In Shrewsbury's 1-0 cup last conclusion by Lincoln, Henderson was astatine nan centre of a arguable infinitesimal erstwhile he was struck by nan elbow of striker Matt Rhead, who narrowly escaped a reddish card.

In nan play-off last astatine Wembley - which Shrewsbury mislaid 2-1 to Rotherham - Henderson saved David Ball's first-half penalty.

It was astatine nan aforesaid extremity and struck towards nan aforesaid broadside arsenic Marmoush's spot-kick connected Saturday.

"It was written successful nan stars," added Southall.

"Henderson said he'd emotion to 1 time return to Shrewsbury. This was nan move that put him successful nan shop window."

After Shrewsbury, Henderson spent 2 seasons connected indebtedness astatine Sheffield United, helping them to promotion from nan Championship and a ninth-place Premier League finish.

Impressed pinch his occurrence astatine Bramall Lane, Manchester United head Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made him portion of nan 2020-21 first-team squad.

At nan clip Henderson appeared group to go nan adjacent number 1 astatine Old Trafford. He made his elder England debut against nan Republic of Ireland successful November 2020, and started 10 of United's last 12 Premier League games that season.

"There was a increasing emotion De Gea would beryllium moved connected that summer," said BBC Sport's main shot news newsman Simon Stone.

"Henderson thought he had been promised he would go United's number 1 successful 2021-22.

"Solskjaer ne'er said truthful publically truthful no-one knew what nan business was, and past Henderson caught Covid-19 a week aliases truthful earlier nan adjacent play started.

"The microorganism lingered for a while, by which clip De Gea had started nan season, had done good successful a winning squad and kept his place.

"It each unravelled successful nan abstraction of 5 Premier League games successful a month. De Gea played successful them each but Solskjaer sewage sacked and first Michael Carrick, past Ralf Rangnick, chose nan Spaniard complete Henderson."

Desperate for much first-team action Henderson went connected indebtedness to Nottingham Forest successful July 2022. Just complete a twelvemonth later he was allowed to join Crystal Palace permanently, connected a five-year woody worthy up to £20m.

"New United head Erik 10 Hag made it beautiful clear that yet he wanted Andre Onana arsenic his first-choice keeper truthful location was ne'er immoderate chance Henderson would enactment arsenic he felt he should beryllium number one," added Stone.

"He really made rather a fewer mistakes astatine Forest, truthful I ne'er sewage nan belief United felt they had made a correction by letting him go."

And what astir his clip astatine Selhurst Park?

"When Palace brought successful Dean Henderson, location was immoderate astonishment amongst fans," said BBC Sport shot news newsman Alex Howell.

"The transportation interest successful nan region of £20m seemed to beryllium high, particularly erstwhile nan Eagles had Sam Johnstone connected nan books who astatine nan clip was playing his measurement into nan England set-up arsenic Jordan Pickford's number two."

Last play a thigh wounded kept Henderson retired for 2 months, and he was concisely dropped aft a 3-1 conclusion by Chelsea halfway done nan campaign.

He won backmost his spot though, and past summertime Johnstone was transferred to Wolves, pinch Henderson fixed nan vacant number 1 jersey.

"His passion and characteristic has endeared him to Palace fans and they now singing that he's England's number one," added Howell.

"He started nan Nations League crippled against Finland for England nether Lee Carsley successful October.

"That could beryllium a large denotation that Henderson could beryllium capable to unit his measurement into Thomas Tuchel's plans."