Henderson vs De Gea

By Josh Coleman, published on 11/06/21

Due to the exceptionally rapid rise to the top from Dean Henderson, it has left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United with quite a decision on their hands. Dean Henderson, or David De Gea? With both players having too much ability to sit and watch on from the sidelines as the backup keeper, it is likely that it is a case of one stays, one goes. So therefore in this piece I will be discussing the pros and cons of both keepers, and coming to the decision of who I believe Utd should stick with going into the future.

Starting with David De Gea, the 30 year old Spanish keeper has now established himself as something of a Utd legend. Winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, EFL Cup and the Europa League, as well as winning the Sir Matt Busby player of the year four times, and the Golden Glove during the 17/18 season. De Gea’s record is certainly one to be proud of, and one to be held in high regard. Despite this, we have seen a drop in form and confidence ever since a disappointing performance for Spain, in the 2016 Euros, which has seen his position come under scrutiny.

His ability at top form is undoubtedly incredible. With a shot save percentage of 80.7%, at an incredible percentile of 98, during the 2017/18 season, we saw him become arguably the best keeper in the world at the time. Most notably his performance against Arsenal of which he made 14 saves, becoming one of the best, if not the best, individual performances from a goalkeeper in history. However, as noted earlier, De Gea's performances have been subject to a slump in the past few years.

Since the Euros in 2016, De Gea has never quite seemed his old self since, and while it's good to see Utd stick by him, there is only so long before you must look elsewhere. For example, De Gea’s save percentage has slumped to a disappointing 67.1%, with a percentile putting him at the in the bottom 21% among Premier League keepers. His lack of confidence has also led to difficulties from balls in the box.

While our difficulties from set pieces can't be solely blamed on him, the lack of control and dominance in his own penalty area has at times cost us. Shown in his stats in defence from corners, stopping only 0.35 crosses per game, only stopping 4.6% of crosses that came in. Most notably against Everton this season, which saw De Gea make a lacklustre attempt to challenge Calvert-Lewin before he slotted in the equaliser.

The alternative right now is Dean Henderson, the English 24 year old who spent the 2019/20 season as number 1 at Sheffield United on loan last season. Returning to United, Henderson was very clearly intent on taking the number one spot from De Gea. Successfully doing so in the latter stages of last season, as he became Ole’s primary keeper in the league. Doing so with fantastic form, with a shot save percentage of 76% at a percentile of 90.

Henderson also shone where David De Gea had struggled, establishing himself as a much more dominant figure in his own penalty area. Stopping 8.6% of crosses that come in, and with the aid of no fans in the ground, you can hear just how vocal Henderson is and how much he pushes this team.

The decision to be made is far from a simple one, with many factors to look at before coming to a conclusion. Henderson is a relatively inexperienced keeper, especially in comparison to David De Gea, with only one full season in the top flight, you could argue that he is relatively unproven. De Gea, however, is proven at this level, and on top form makes a case for being one of the best goalkeepers in recent history, far beyond the current ability of Dean Henderson.

On the other hand, you can look at Henderson as a breath of fresh air, the next generation of Manchester United goalkeepers. At 24 and with much potential, it is plausible to envision him at United for many years to come. While De Gea is not old, at 30 years old there are plenty more seasons to come from him, you have to ask yourself if we ever will see the heights of De Gea again, and if so, how long it will take for him to get there.

Despite being a fantastic servant to the club, for me, it is time for Henderson to take the reins from David De Gea. I feel that while De Gea in his prime is better than any keeper I have seen, I have fears over how long it will take for him to get back to his best, if he can at all, which would have been without a doubt stalled by the events of the Europa League Final. So therefore, I think that Manchester United’s number one going forward should be Dean Henderson, due to not just his current talent, but the potential for him to grow into an even better keeper than he is now.