Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson earns England World Cup audition through Nottingham Forest form – what Steve Cooper said

Henderson effectively earned his first call-up to the England squad on the back of his two-season spell at the Blades, which saw him help United into the Premier League and then finish ninth in their first season back in the top flight.

He joined Forest on loan in the summer in a bid to kickstart his career, with injury and Covid-19 hitting his bid to become Manchester United’s No.1, and is back in the England squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Italy and Germany ahead of this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.

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“It’s great for him, because I know how important it is for him to play for England, in terms of his personal objectives,” said Forest boss Cooper of Henderson’s recall.

“I’m really pleased that he’s been given the opportunity to meet up again.

“I think he deserves it. He’s been excellent for us. We’re lucky that we see him on a daily basis. He’s really committed to his work here and what we’re trying to do at the club.

“He’s a hard-working professional. He’s obviously a really talented goalkeeper, but that only goes so far. If you’re willing to work hard and have the mentality of wanting to improve, that’s when the talent will really show.”

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“He deserves the call up again,” Cooper, whose side beat United in the play-off semi finals last season on their way to promotion, added.

“He has to keep striving to improve, to get better, be obsessed with keeping clean sheets, making saves, distributing the ball well.

“If he does that, he will continue to improve his already good form.

“We love having Dean here. We really enjoy working with him, the competitive soul that he is, and we’ve got to push him to improve even more.”

Henderson, who joins another ex-Blade Aaron Ramsdale amongst the goalkeepers in the England squad, will see this an audition for the winter World Cup in Qatar, with Southgate’s regular No.1 Jordan Pickford injured.

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