Dean Henderson hits out at Manchester United’s ‘criminal’ treatment of him and has not spoken to Erik ten Hag

Dean Henderson says he did not speak to Erik ten Hag before going out on loan from Manchester United for the fifth time to join Nottingham Forest this summer.

Henderson left United at the beginning of the transfer window to join newly-promoted club Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan.

When asked if he spoke to United’s new manager before departing, the goalkeeper told talkSPORT: “No.”

He explained: “I didn’t really want the manager to come in and be able to see me in training because I knew he’d probably want to keep me.

“So I tried to do it all before I left for the season, I told all the hierarchy I need to go and play football.

“I don’t want to be here playing second fiddle. And it panned out so I was almost gone before the manager came in the door and I haven’t spoken to him since.”

Henderson was instrumental in helping Sheffield United get promoted to the Premier League in the 2018-19 season before he impressed in the top-flight.

United kept hold of Henderson for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns.

He started ten of the final 12 matches under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the end of the 2021 season, but a bout of Covid-19 saw David de Gea return as United’s No. 1 goalkeeper for the beginning of the 2021-22 season and Henderson was limited to just three appearances.

Solskjaer reportedly informed Henderson he would be his first choice going into last season.

Henderson says he was “fuming” that he “wasted” the last 12 months at United.

He said: “I turned so many good loans down last summer for that reason [being promised No.1 spot], and they wouldn’t let me go. It was frustrating.

“To sit there and waste 12 months is criminal really, at my age. I was fuming.”