Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has rubbished suggestions that Dean Henderson is ready to usurp David de Gea as the number one goalkeeper at Old Trafford.
De Gea's future position as first choice has come under scrutiny over the past two campaigns, with the Spaniard having made a joint league-high number of errors leading directly to goals since the start of last season.
Henderson, by contrast, has kept 10 clean sheets in the Premier League this term to help unfancied Sheffield United push for a European spot while boasting the second best defensive record in the league.
The Englishman has been on loan at Bramall Lane for the past two seasons and is due to return to parent club Man United at the end of the current campaign, but Schmeichel does not believe that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will seriously consider making him his number one above De Gea.
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"Would anyone seriously consider not having David De Gea in goal and put Dean Henderson in now? There's no doubt about Henderson's potential, but he's played one season at a club who has had an unbelievable run in the Premier League. They've managed to combine an old-school way of thinking into a new-school way of thinking, staying true to Sheffield United and what kind of club it is," Schmeichel said during an Instagram Live video.
"But Henderson will need to show another season, like he's just come through, and then another one, and another one, in order to convince everyone that he is the right guy. There's a really big difference between being the number one at Bramall Lane and being the number one at Old Trafford, a really big difference. Even just being a player at those two clubs.
"I have seen a lot of guys come into Old Trafford with great reputations, goalscorers, and they haven't been able to do what they promised to do, with performances and talent. That's simply because the pressures at Old Trafford are different, just different, you know.
"Just as an example, if Henderson makes a mistake – and I can only remember one he made against Liverpool - it's 'oh yeah but he's young and talented and blah blah blah', because he plays for Sheffield United. If he makes that mistake at Old Trafford, for Manchester United, then it's headlines and it's all week until he plays the next game, where they question his ability to be the number one.
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"That's what you have to deal with. That's what the difference is between playing for clubs like United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, and then playing for the other clubs. The pressures, the outside pressures, are so different. If you make a mistake playing for Sheffield United, well, fine, it's what happens, you're not expected to win every game.
"But you are when you're playing for the bigger clubs. So let's see how he develops and keep an eye on him. But it's far too early. So the question: De Gea or Henderson? There's really only one answer to that."
Henderson has been with Man United since 2011 but is yet to make a single appearance for the senior team.
Barney Corkhill
