Dean Henderson is looking to keep his “foot on the accelerator” as he chases down ambitious targets with Manchester United and England.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper is not shying away from the fact that he intends to nail down prestigious No.1 berths with club and country, and that quest has been aided over the course of the last two seasons by productive loan spells at Sheffield United.
Regular first-team football has been found with the Blades, along with a step up onto a Premier League stage.
Henderson’s exploits at Bramall Lane have earned him a spot in the senior England squad and a billing as the next long-term option to step in between the posts at Old Trafford.
Some have suggested that he may be ready to challenge David de Gea for that role as early as next season.
Henderson intends to maintain forward momentum wherever he is playing, with a highly-rated talent not about to rest until he has hit his ultimate goals.
He told the Yorkshire Post of his rise into England contention: “That’s what you work for, isn’t it?
“I remember being in the airport with my missus in Villa Moana, it was the first time in years I’ve shed a little tear.
“I’ve been there before with the (Under) 21s when it looked impossible (to become first choice).
“I’ve just got to keep my foot on the accelerator and keep working hard and see where it takes me.”
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Henderson is naturally a confident character and has grown accustomed to exceeding expectations across his relatively short career to date.
He did that during his first season at Sheffield United, with Chris Wilder’s side securing automatic promotion back into the big time against the odds.
Henderson said of his arrival at the Blades in 2018: “I went up to see the gaffer and I remember he said, ‘We’ll hopefully get into the play-offs this season’.
“I was, like, ‘We need to get automatic'.
“I said it tongue in cheek but it was a great season from all the boys, the memories and relationships I’ve made over the past two seasons have been phenomenal and will live with me forever.”
Henderson has missed just one league game for the Blades across his two loan spells, with his consistency adding weight to the argument that he could soon be drafted back into the fold with his parent club in Manchester.