JAKARTA - Dean Henderson threatened David de Gea. His first appearance between the sticks of Manchester United in the 3-0 League Cup win against Luton Town on Wednesday night made De Gea's position as number one goalkeeper no longer safe.
Henderson was one of 10 changes to United's squad after losing 3-1 to Crystal Palace in United's first league match last Saturday.
The 23-year-old, who returned to his club after being loaned by Sheffield United, had a crucial obstacle to thwart Tom Lockyer's effort in the final 10 minutes of the League Cup third-leg tie after taking a 1-0 lead thanks to Juan Mata's first-half penalty.
Henderson, who joined United since the age of 14, cleared the ball to maintain his side's lead and they then sealed victory against the second division side thanks to last-minute goals from Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
"It's probably a task that sometimes our goalkeepers have to do, you have to make saves when needed and David (de Gea) has been doing it for years and Dean did it today," said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as quoted by Antara.
"The save was very important because it was 1-0 at the time," added Mata.
"He made a good save and someone also got the ball across the line. I think we did well. We didn't all train too long together and it's important right now to regain rhythm and gain confidence."
Henderson tweeted after the match, "I have dreamed of this all my life !! What a great feeling to make my debut for this club I love !! Clean sheets and a win to be the highlight !!!"
I dreamt about this my whole life !! Unbelievable feeling to make my debut for the club I love !! Clean sheet and a win to top it off !!! 🔜🔛🔝 pic.twitter.com/BzfrZEAEHt
- Dean Henderson (@deanhenderson) September 22, 2020
He is now looking to overthrow David De Gea who has been the target of criticism this year but made some brilliant saves against Palace at Old Trafford.
The win over Luton brought United back to winning ways and Solskjaer is delighted they have progressed to round four where they will face the winners of Brighton & Hove Albion's clash against Championship League side Preston North End.
"Getting away is a big deal. There were a number of positives, the goalkeeper got the job done, we scored some beautiful goals towards the end," said Solksjaer.
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