Dean Henderson on Sheffield United's 'rough and ready' dressing room culture

The Cumbrian has returned to Manchester United after consecutive season-long loans working with Chris Wilder and being part of a manly dressing-room culture

The tough love Wilder showed Henderson last season lay down a marker for an extraordinary season which saw the Blades finish ninth Intheir first season back in the Premier League since 2007.

Henderson's error at home to Liverpool in September cost his side the chance to be the first team to take points off the eventual champions, and Wilder went public in his criticism, to the surprise of many pundits.

But as Henderson explained in an interview with The Times, it was in keeping with the tough culture the manager has created, and just what he needed to develop.

“I had a fantastic two years with Chris,” said Henderson. “He was a great manager, rough and ready, just what I needed.

"He put me in line when I needed to be put into line but really strongly believed in me, which is something I loved about him. He made me feel 10ft tall. He was great for me. I can’t thank Chris enough for what he’s done for me.”

The Blades were Henderson's fourth loan club, and he was in the League One team of the season with Shrewsbury Town in 2017-18. But it was in South Yorkshire that he was elevated into the England squad, and he and Nick Pope are pushing Jordan Pickford hard to start this month's Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.

Of the Bramall Lane dressing room, he said: “You have to stand up for yourself. I’m ready for any challenge thrown my way now.

“There were many times in the changing room after games it got heated between the boys but it’s just because we have a passionate group of lads and everyone wanted to win.

“A lot of the boys say that 'real men turn up to big events’.

"We’d say it when we went out just before games. We all turned up many times as well.”

Meanwhile, Wilder expects striker David McGoldrick to step up his preparations for the new season by playing for the Republic of Ireland at home to Finland on Sunday, despite not having featured in his club's first three pre-season games, and not featuring in the squad for Thursday's Nations League opener in Bulgaria.

“Didzy has been continuing to work with us this week,” Wilder revealed. “They (Ireland) play on Sunday, I believe, so I think he’ll be involved in that.”

Sheffield United's opening Premier League game is at Wolverhampton Wanderers on September 14.

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James Mitchinson