Dean Henderson has been told to ‘grow up’ by talkSPORT host Simon Jordan after the goalkeeper’s explosive interview.
The Nottingham Forest loanee has revealed parent club Manchester United let him ‘smoke’ for what he called ‘criminal’ treatment during the 2021/22 campaign.
Henderson told talkSPORT he was promised the No.1 spot after an impressive loan spell with Sheffield United but only made five appearances after contracting COVID early in the campaign.
“To be honest, it’s probably been the toughest 12 months of my career,” said the goalkeeper, who is still under contract with United until 2025.
He added: “The conversation I had coming out of the Euro squad was, ‘You come back here to be the No.1.’
“I had COVID, I came back, so I should have always been number 1, but unfortunately no one followed what they told me.
“It was frustrating because I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason, and they wouldn’t let me go.
“To sit there and waste 12 months is really criminal, at my age I was fuming.”
The 25-year-old’s comments have divided opinion: some insist it’s refreshing to hear a player who wants to play and speaks honestly, while others argue the interview was irrelevant.
Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan firmly took one side of the argument and launched a scathing rant.
He told talkSPORT: “There is a refreshing element to seeing a player want to play. There is also an element in which we are very critical of players who talk nonsense at press conferences and who are robotics.
“Then there’s something about the whining and blaming of a footballer who didn’t get things done and who talks about the worst year of his life because things didn’t go the way he wanted. .
“There’s an element of simultaneously engaging your mouth and your brain and looking at the reality of how people perceive that.
“You had the opportunity to be the goalkeeper for Man United. You, because of football – injuries, COVID, whatever – were removed from the committee. The guy who came in performed very well and he So he kept his place. That’s how football works.
“For you to turn this into a four act play about how awful it is for you, how tragic it is, how people have twisted things on you and how the world hasn’t worked the way you wish…it shouldn’t be ideal for what we consider refreshing.
“It’s a self-indulgent whine.”
Jordan added: “At the end of the day, you are only as good as your performance and you have the right to express your disappointment.
“But where he crossed the line…to piss on people’s parade and make it a situation where everyone’s supposed to feel sorry for Henderson because he couldn’t move De Gea.
“He wasn’t the one who was able to replace De Gea. Basically what he’s saying is if he got into the goal and was able to make the place go away, because he was told at the start of the season that he was No. 1 guaranteed, he should have been ad infinitum ad nauseam.
“Oh grow up, my child! You are at a fabulous football club and you are paid a fabulous sum of money.
“It’s disappointing that he didn’t have any games last year, but go on, develop a backbone and don’t do a ridiculous interview that seems to get anybody’s sympathy.”
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