Sheffield United have Man United to thank for popular Bramall Lane cult hero | OneFootball

Dean Henderson was exceptional during his two years on loan with the Blades.

Sheffield United went into the 2018/19 campaign off the back of an excellent first year in the Championship following promotion from League One in 2017, and hopes were high that a play-off finish was on the cards.

Chris Wilder's expansive attacking style of play made the Blades a fascinating proposition heading into the new season, but there was plenty of quality up and down the division with the likes of Aston Villa, Derby County, Leeds United and Norwich City all vying for promotion.

Bramall Lane had been a fortress for the South Yorkshire outfit the year prior, and it needed to be once again if the club was going to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2007.

With Sheffield United's overlapping centre-backs, a confident goalkeeper was needed, and they found exactly that in a young Manchester United loanee who went on to become a cult hero during his time in S2.

Dean Henderson was crucial in Sheffield United's promotion campaign

Dean Henderson was brought in on loan at the start of July 2018, with huge pressure on his shoulders to take the number one shirt and become the commanding shot-stopper that the Blades needed.

Despite a tough start to life with his new side, he finally started to settle, and the then-21-year-old quickly started to show supporters why Wilder took a risk by bringing him in without much experience.

He registered a sensational assist in a 4-1 win over Aston Villa in just his sixth game as Sheffield United started to show improvements following two defeats in their first two matches.

A run of four straight victories saw the Blades go to the top of the Championship table before they made the trip to fellow high-fliers Derby. However, they were beaten by the Rams at Pride Park in a difficult contest.

Nevertheless, Wilder's side continued to go about their business, and they did not slip out of the top six once they had entered it at the start of September. Henderson played an incredible role in this, keeping seven clean sheets before the turn of the year.

While the team had played well, it was in the second half of the campaign when they truly played their hand, with Sheffield United winning 13 of their 21 Championship matches in 2019, and their goalkeeper registered 14 more clean sheets as promotion to the Premier League was won.

Henderson continued to impress in a second spell in the Premier League

Henderson had enjoyed a wonderful year on loan with the Blades, and he was given the opportunity to return to Bramall Lane for a season of experience in the top flight.

Once again he was terrific, as Wilder's side continued to defy expectations with their incredibly exciting style of play that surprised many of their opponents.

Sheffield United had a very realistic chance of ending the season in the European spots, and Henderson was crucial in this, conceding just 33 goals in 36 matches, while keeping 13 clean sheets.

He missed both of the games against Manchester United, with the Blades picking up just one point in each and their opponents finding the back of the net six times - proving just how much of a command the young shot-stopper had between the posts.

Henderson left Sheffield United at the end of the 2019/20 season, with the club that he called home finishing their first year back in the top flight in ninth place. However, the following campaign was tough, and it was clear that they were missing their number one as they returned to the Championship with a bit of a whimper.