‘Henderson can handle the pressure at Man Utd’ – Former coach feels De Gea should be worried

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Ben Benson worked with a promising goalkeeper at Carlisle and believes the “sky is the limit” for a man starring on loan at Sheffield United

Dean Henderson is more than capable of handling the pressure at Manchester United, says Ben Benson, with David de Gea warned that he should be looking anxiously over his shoulder.

Questions continue to be asked of who will fill the No.1 spot at Old Trafford beyond the end of the current campaign.

Mistakes have crept back into the game of Spain international De Gea, with his position under serious threat for the first time since he endured a slow start to life in England.

Henderson is not yet breathing down his neck, as he remains out on loan at Sheffield United, but the 23-year-old is being tipped by many to take the top job at his parent club.

Benson, who worked with the highly-rated shot-stopper during his early years at Carlisle, believes a confident character would not look out of place if given a big break by the Red Devils.

“I am sure the pressure is different at Manchester United”, Benson told The Athletic.

“I sit here and think, ‘If there is one person who will be able to deal with it, that person is Dean’.

“Whether they choose to do that now or not, is up to them. I don’t know their thinking but I am in no doubt he will be fine.“Dean’s two loans [at Bramall Lane] have been great for him. As he has been for Sheffield United. Same with Manchester United, who have done a wonderful job with him.“If Dean can continue doing what he has been doing — and that is the challenge, of course, to keep finding those extra percentages — the sky really is the limit for him.”

Henderson has excelled with the Blades, with his stock rising to the point that he is now being mooted as a future first choice for United and England – while also generating plenty of transfer talk.

Benson believes the talented youngster will be taking everything in his stride, with every hurdle put in his path having been cleared with ease to this point.

“That confidence in his own ability is unwavering but the other big trait I always say about him - and he’s had this right from being a youngster — is a tremendous ability to retain information,” added Benson.

“I call it, ‘Failing fast and fixing fast’. You only have to tell Dean something once. Next time, he has nailed whatever you ask.

“Just look at last season. He made a couple of mistakes against Leeds and Aston Villa. He kept seven clean sheets on the back of what happened at Villa.

“That ability to prove people wrong and unwavering belief in your own ability is a huge skill.

“The main thing, though, is he never repeated them. That is what I mean by the importance of being able to fail fast and fix fast. It is an unbelievable skill.”

2020-07-20 18:00:04

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