Dean Henderson: Why former Sheffield United star slammed Manchester United after making Nottingham Forest switch

Henderson, who spent two seasons on loan at Bramall Lane and helped them first win promotion to the Premier League before finishing ninth in their first season back in the top flight, is preparing for another full season of PL football after joining Nottingham Forest on loan.

The 25-year-old, who has joined the newly-promoted side for their first top-flight campaign since 1999 after they overcame the Blades and Huddersfield in last season’s Championship play-offs, claims 12 months ago he was told by the Old Trafford hierarchy he would be first-choice for last season.

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However, when injury curtailed his Euro 2020 involvement with England and long Covid delayed his availability for the new campaign David De Gea retained his place as United's number one.

As a result Henderson played just three times in three different competitions and was determined to seal a loan move away before new manager Erik ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford, believing the former Ajax boss would want to keep him in the building if he saw him in training before the new season.

"To be honest, it has probably been the toughest 12 months of my career," he told Talksport.

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"The conversation I had coming out of the Euros squad was: 'You're coming back here to be the number one'.

"I got Covid-19, came back, so I should have still been the number one but then nobody followed through with what they had told me.

"It was frustrating, because I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason, and they would not let me go.

"To sit there for 12 months, it is criminal really, at my age, I was fuming.

"I told the hierarchy that I need to be playing football and to let me go, and I was almost gone before the manager came through the door. I have not spoken to him since.

"I worked hard on and off the pitch to keep improving, day-in, day-out, and now I am looking forward to the season with Nottingham Forest."

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