MUFC must unleash “exceptional” £16.2m-rated gem in the FA Cup, he “knows he is good” - opinion

Manchester United return to action on Friday night against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round, with Ralf Rangnick leading out his team at Old Trafford after a January transfer window full of squad-trimming.

The club didn’t make any signings last month but let go of eight players, including Anthony Martial and Donny Van de Beek, who are both out on loan for the rest of the season.

Rangnick was also at the centre of a media storm during the transfer window, as it was revealed that there were reportedly up to 17 players who wanted to leave the club amid dressing room upset, with Dean Henderson named as one of those.

The goalkeeper has fallen out of favour in the United first team after David de Gea returned to phenomenal form this season, leaving the Englishman with no Premier League starts and just two senior appearances in total across all competitions.

The £16.2m-rated ace was hailed as “exceptional” by his former Sheffield United team-mate Sander Berge, who gushed: “He’s so confident. He knows he is good and he exploits that too. He is exceptional.”

Henderson was linked with a move away from Old Trafford throughout last month, with reported interest from Newcastle United, but nothing materialised and the ‘keeper has remained in Rangnick’s Red Devils squad for the rest of the season.

The 24-year-old played a huge part in United’s second-placed finish in the league last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with much more game-time than he is currently experiencing, making 26 appearances across all competitions. In 2020/21, he kept clean sheets in three of four of the Europa League knockout games that he started, and United only one lost game out of 13 when he appeared in their Premier League starting XI.

Henderson