Why Aaron Ramsdale will make a good fist of filling Dean Henderson's gloves at Sheffield United

Can Aaron Ramsdale fill the boots of Dean Henderson, if and when his move back to Bramall Lane from Bournemouth is completed?

It is, given Henderson's immense popularity and success in South Yorkshire, a fair question to ask. But it's also a difficult one to answer. Ramsdale is a fine young goalkeeper with a lot of potential, honed at United before his move to the south coast. But Henderson is a special talent, too, and the smart money could be on the pair challenging for the England shirt further down the line.

Comparing them is also fraught with danger, because of the vastly different seasons their sides enjoyed in 2019/20 - for both goalkeepers, their first real taste of the Premier League. But let's do it anyway.

The stats at first glance look alarming. Ramsdale conceded 69 goals last season as Bournemouth were relegated, while Henderson picked the ball out of his net 37 times. But Henderson was protected superbly by a back three, or five, that undoubtedly proved themselves to be Premier League standard last season. The same, as the table shows, cannot be said of Bournemouth.

The hope is that, behind United's defence, Ramsdale's goals conceded number will be dramatically lower, but he will still have to make saves when the time comes. He faced 223 shots last season - 80 more than Henderson - and made 154 saves, including a number against the Blades on the opening day of the season.

As well as excellent, Henderson is expensive and if he was allowed to join United for a third successive loan campaign, the total bill for the Blades could have reached £6m. Then, in a year's time, they'd have been in the same boat again; just with Ramsdale probably under contract somewhere else.

At some point United needed their own No.1 goalkeeper, and Ramsdale could well fit that billing for the next decade or longer. Filling those gloves of Henderson will be no easy task for anyone, but Ramsdale will make a great fist of it.