Grimsby Town supporters knew Crystal Palace player was destined for international football: View | OneFootball

Even though he was very young at the time, England goalkeeper Dean Henderson stood out during 2016/17 Grimsby Town loan spell.

Highlights

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson is currently in Germany as part of Gareth Southgate's 26-man England squad for Euro 2024, and many Grimsby Town supporters who saw him play for the Mariners during a loan spell in 2016/17 knew he was destined for big things, even at that early stage in his career.

Having been a junior at Carlisle United before heading to the Manchester United academy, Henderson got his first taste of senior football in early 2016 during a loan at then National League North side Stockport County, before being recalled as cover for a goalkeeping injury crisis at his parent club.

Dean Henderson at Grimsby Town

The then 19-year-old was brought in by previous Mariners boss Paul Hurst (during his first spell in charge at Blundell Park) ahead of the club's return to the EFL in the summer of 2016, on a loan deal until the following January.

The young goalkeeper would initially have to play second fiddle, however, acting as back-up to James McKeown, who himself would become an iconic figure on the Humber's south bank, spending 10 years at Grimsby. Hurst moving on to Shrewsbury and being replaced by Marcus Bignot would in-turn eventually see Henderson get his Mariners opportunity.

The loanee made his debut in the 2016 Boxing Day victory over Accrington Stanley, and instantly looked an exceptional talent. Calm, confident and making match-defining saves, Henderson looked levels above in the fourth-tier, showing an assurance beyond his years.

While he would only make seven appearances for the club before being recalled by Manchester United, the youngster made a huge impression with the Mariners, embracing the fanbase, who knew they'd witnessed a special talent in a Grimsby shirt.

Henderson then quickly moved up through the divisions with loan spells at League One Shrewsbury Town, before spending consecutive seasons at Sheffield United between 2018 and 2020, firstly in the Championship, and subsequently, the Premier League, making 86 appearances in total.

Following that, Henderson became part of the first-team squad at Old Trafford, where he'd feature 29 times overall in league, cup and European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, but he couldn't quite establish himself as United's long-term number one, and, wanting that regular first-team football at the top level, firstly joining Nottingham Forest on loan in 2022 before moving on from the Red Devils permanently in 2023, heading to South London and Crystal Palace.

The Whitehaven-born goalkeeper's talents were noted by national team scouts at an early age, with Henderson featuring for England at Under 16, 17, 20 and 21 levels respectively, before making his senior debut for Southgate's side as a second half substitute in a 3-0 friendly win over the Republic of Ireland in late 2020.

That was followed up by his initial inclusion in the squad for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, one which saw him withdraw due to injury. Included again three years later, Henderson is widely regarded as England's third choice goalkeeper in Germany, and therefore unlikely to feature at this time, but there's every chance he'll add to his one cap to date in the future.

Henderson appears settled at Crystal Palace

Since joining Crystal Palace from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee on a five-year deal last August, Henderson has eventually taken over from the injured Sam Johnstone as the Eagles number one, flourishing towards the end of the season as, under the stewardship of new Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, Palace concluded the campaign in sensational form, seeing the goalkeeper joined by colleagues Marc Guéhi, Ebrechi Eze and Adam Wharton in England's Euro squad.

Having kept six clean sheets in his 20 appearances in league and cup throughout 2023/24, the former Mariner will be looking to kick-on in terms of consistent top-flight game-time from this point. He needs to first cement himself as the undisputed first-choice at his club side if he has any hope of overhauling Jordan Pickford as England's regular number one.

However, as fans of his previous clubs will know - Grimsby included - Henderson was always destined to reach the top - the peak of which may still lie ahead.