Dean Henderson was ‘clear’ of David de Gea and should’ve replaced him, says ex-Man Utd teammate of both

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Dean Henderson’s stock is rising again after a fine season as number one for Crystal Palace.

Henderson’s decision to leave Manchester United in 2023 in search of a number one position has paid off, returning to the England squad and winning the FA Cup with Palace last season.

Henderson was also his side’s hero in the FA Cup final in May, saving a penalty against Manchester City as the Eagles upset the odds to lift a first major trophy in the club’s history – although Henderson was lucky to escape a red card earlier in the final.

Palace face Liverpool in the 2025 Community Shield this weekend, looking to add another trophy to their cabinet as they wait to learn their fate from the Court of Arbitration for Sport over their appeal following demotion from the Europa League.

And speaking ahead of that game, a former Manchester United teammate of the 28-year-old has claimed he should have been the one to replace David de Gea at Old Trafford.

Dean Henderson ‘should have replaced David De Gea’ at Manchester United, claims Demetri Mitchell

2025/26 is set to be another big one in Henderson’s career, with a World Cup place up for grabs next summer. Palace’s European campaign, whether in the Europa League or Conference League, should give him more experience on the big stage and cement his status as England’s number two.

He may look back at former club Manchester United, without European football after their dismal 15th-placed finish last season, and back his decision to leave permanently in 2023.

Andre Onana is first choice at United after David de Gea’s exit the same year as Henderson’s move to Palace. And according to a former United starlet, Henderson should have been given the chance to succeed De Gea rather than Onana.

Answering questions on Twitter, ex-United midfielder Demitri Mitchell called Henderson the best goalkeeper he ever played with, saying: “Best keeper I’ve played with… Dean Henderson clear.” He then added: “Hendo was good enough to be United’s Number 1 post De Gea.”

Dean Henderson’s statistics compared to Andre Onana since 2023

Henderson’s two seasons at Selhurst Park compare favourably to Onana’s two years at Old Trafford, even if Onana has more silverware than the England man.

Henderson has 64 appearances for Palace, keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 51 goals.

In comparison, Onana has 101 United appearances but only has three more clean sheets than Henderson at 24. He has also conceded almost three times as many goals at 148.

Both goalkeepers recorded a similar save percentage last season in the Premier League at 67 per cent, giving the pair comparable records. However, with Henderson’s clean sheet rate much better and far fewer goals conceded United may feel they had an ideal De Gea replacement on their books all along.