Dean Henderson eyes World Cup chance with England after FA Cup final heroics
Dean Henderson vowed to push for more England action after his penalty-saving heroics helped inspire Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory and their first major silverware.
Eberechi Eze's 16th-minute strike proved the winner in the 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Wembley, but the south Londoners' unprecedented evening might have turned out differently had Henderson not stopped Omar Marmoush's spot-kick shortly after the half hour.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper, who survived a VAR review over a possible red card for handling the ball outside his area when challenging Erling Haaland before his penalty save, was a standout performer, contributing number of key saves under the watchful eye of England boss Thomas Tuchel.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/psy3S4j4OY
— Dean Henderson (@deanhenderson) May 18, 2025
Reminded that the World Cup was just under 13 months away, Henderson, who has won two caps for England, said: 'I would like to think (I'm going). Obviously that's an aim of mine.
'I obviously got my first taste of it (playing for England). I want the next taste of it. That's something I've been working towards for many years now and fingers crossed I can get the opportunity soon.'
Reflecting on his efforts in the final, Henderson added: 'I know what I'm capable of.'
He dedicated the victory to his late father, who died shortly after his trip to the Euros with England last summer.
Henderson said: 'He can't be here and he can't see that (FA Cup final), but I genuinely believe that he was with me, kicking every ball. My neighbour actually sent me a video of the grave and she said she'd be listening to it on the radio with him.
'That means the world to me.'
Europa League football is uncharted territory for Palace, but not manager Oliver Glasner, who won the competition with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.
Henderson said the 50-year-old had 'changed the whole narrative at Crystal Palace'.
The Austrian is under contract until the end of next season but has been linked with both RB Leipzig and Tottenham, while other influential members of Palace's history-writing core including Eze, captain Marc Guehi and midfielder Adam Wharton are also expected to be targeted by top clubs this summer.
The latter two were reportedly forced to miss Palace's post-match celebrations after requiring hospital visits for blows sustained at Wembley.
Henderson is under contract at Selhurst Park until June 2028 and his high hopes for the club's future.
Work is expected to begin on the ground's main stand this summer that will add about 8,000 seats.
Our South London boys 🏆 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/1gIP662n4p
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 17, 2025
'We're trying to build something here,' Henderson added. 'When I signed (in 2023) the chairman (Steve Parish said) he wanted to put another stand on, but he needs the players to build that stand and we've got the manager to build that stand.
'South Croydon is the biggest catchment area for fans and we're trying to inspire the next generation and we will keep doing that.
'Days like (the FA Cup final), hopefully that area will follow Palace more and more and we'll see more shirts cropping up around the area.
'Hopefully this is just the start for us.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Netherlands midfielder Danielle van de Donk joins London City Lionesses from Lyon
London City Lionesses have completed the signing of midfielder Danielle van de Donk from Lyon. The former Arsenal player, 33, joins the newly-promoted side ahead of their first season in the Women's Super League (WSL) after four years at Lyon. The Netherlands international has signed a two-year contract that runs until 2027. This Lioness roars louder in London. 🦁@DanielleDonk — London City Lionesses (@LC_Lionesses) June 20, 2025 Van de Donk said: 'It's just such a nice environment to be in, the club really appeals to me, it reminds me of a little family, and I want to be a part of it! 'The project that London City have, it's different but in a good way. London City have to battle for everything, and that's my style.' The transfer sees Van de Donk move between two Michele Kang-owned clubs, after the U.S. businesswoman completed the purchase of London City in February 2024. Advertisement After beginning her career in the Netherlands, Van de Donk joined Arsenal in 2015 and had six successful years in north London, winning three trophies including the WSL title in 2018. Shen joined Lyon in 2021, where she won three league titles and the Champions League in 2022. The midfielder has also made 167 appearances for the Netherlands, winning the European Championship in 2017. When asked about returning to play in the WSL, she said: 'I was there for six years, and it was very good. I loved it and saw no hesitation in coming back. It's a good league; the stadiums are full, and hopefully we can get more and more fans here too. I'm so excited to meet all of the fans, and I promise that I'll give 100% if you do the same for us.' London City Lionesses won promotion to the WSL for the first time last season by topping the Championship. Analysis by Charlotte Harpur This is a marquee signing for London City Lionesses and shows they are prepared to spend big to attract names. The aim seemingly is to build their brand and boost attendances in their maiden WSL season. It comes as a surprise that Van de Donk, a statement name in women's football with a Champions League winner's medal to her name and four league titles with Arsenal (one) and Lyon (three), has made the switch. But Kang's vision has evidently appealed to the 33-year-old versatile midfielder who will bring plenty of experience to the newly promoted team.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Football legends reunite for evening of entertainment at County Ground
The pair were also team-mates at Tottenham Hotspur for several years (Image: Swindon Town Football Club) Football legends Ossie Ardiles and Micky Hazard have returned to Swindon Town for a night of nostalgia. The Tottenham Hotspur legends and Swindon Town alumni joined fans at the Nigel Eady County Ground on Wednesday, June 11 for 'An Evening with Micky Hazard and Ossie Ardiles'. Advertisement Swindon welcomed the former midfielders to the Legends Lounge to entertain an audience with tales from their impressive playing careers. Ardiles and Hazard spoke to supporters about their time at White Hart Lane and the County Ground, their time in English football and their experiences on the international stage. Ardiles managed Swindon from 1989 to 1991, describing the club's 1-0 win over Sunderland in the 1990 Second Division play-off final as one of his all-time favourite achievements. He also made two appearances for Swindon as a player in a career that also saw him win the 1978 World Cup representing Argentina. Advertisement Hazard scored 17 goals for Swindon in 121 appearances and helped guide the club to the Premier League under the management of Glenn Hoddle. Recommended reading The pair were Spurs team-mates from 1978 to 1985 before Hazard departed for Chelsea, winning the FA Cup and UEFA Cup while at the club. Their evening at the County Ground is part of a calendar of events that will see a number of legendary figures from the world of football. Stuart Pearce visited the Legends Lounge to speak with fans earlier this year in March, while Paul Merson will be making a similar appearance at the club on October 29. The events are part of a club initiative to push for increased commercial revenue that could help guide Swindon back to League One. Advertisement The club's Chief Commercial Officer, James Watts, said: "We are doing a selection of events in The Legends Lounge. We want to try and turn it more into a venue, using it for more events and getting promoters involved in that, who we are talking to on a local and national level. "That goes beyond club events but also guest speakers, race nights, and things like that. "The concert was the starting point, and on the back of that, we can add things to the commercial portfolio in the lounge, but also the suites upstairs and then with a redevelopment of the stadium, you can look at other things."
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Golf Gives Gareth Bale A New Sport To Try To Master
Gareth Bale putts during the first round of the Sunningdale Foursomes at Sunningdale Golf Club in ... More England. To say Gareth Bale's tenure at Real Madrid was polarizing is an understatement. From 2013-22, Bale dazzled on the field by scoring 106 goals across all competitions—two more than Ronaldo—and his bicycle kick against Liverpool in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final is heralded as one of the best goals in Champions League Final history. Bale also won 15 trophies while playing in the Spanish capital—more than double Zinedine Zidane's tally of six as a Madrid player. Despite achieving the success and accolades most players could only dream of, the Welshman still faced criticism. Some questioned why he didn't speak Spanish publicly, though Bale has since come out saying he didn't want to 'have this big fuss around me.' Others even questioned his priorities and commitment to the club. Former Real Madrid sporting director Pedja Mijatovic claimed on the radio that despite not speaking to Bale, the impression he got was that the player's priorities were allegedly: 'Wales, golf and Madrid—in that order.' While soccer remained his passion and priority until he retired in January 2023, Bale was introduced to another competitive outlet during his time at Tottenham Hotspur when he was about 20 years old: golf. 'You're playing football all the time, so it's nice to kind of mix it up,' Bale said recently from adidas global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. 'It's difficult to play other sports, so if you're playing tennis or another sport where it requires a lot of movement, it can really tire you out, but in golf you can get around it in a cart where you're getting in and out hitting golf shots and it's not massively strenuous. 'Once you start to hit a couple of cleaner shots, it kind of really sucks you in and gets you addicted.' After starring for Southampton as a teenager, Bale signed a four-year deal with Tottenham in 2007. Playing with teammates mainly during the offseason or on the rare off day from training, golf gave Bale another competitive outlet without the physical demands—and risks—that came with professional soccer. 'Basically as soon as I started playing, that natural competitive instinct of trying to get better went in straight away,' said Bale, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner. 'And you just want to keep improving—playing better, shooting better scores, not losing so many balls. It was that natural progression.' As his soccer career progressed, including a brief loan spell with Spurs as well as a 13 appearances with LAFC, Bale's golf obsession continued to blossom in the background as he helped his national team qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 64 years. (Celebrating with a Welsh flag with 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.' written on it certainly didn't win over any Madridistas.) Bale's backyard of his Welsh estate is a golfer's paradise with replica holes of TPC Sawgrass' Island Green, Augusta National's Golden Bell and Royal Troon's Postage Stamp. He's played in Pro-Ams and charity competitions as he continues to lower his handicap, which was at 0.1 as of February. He was quick to point out he wasn't officially scratch (0.0) yet, meaning shooting par or better on a regular basis. Bale also continues to work with adidas as he transitions from the soccer field to the fairway. Rather than sharing feedback on optimizing soccer cleats to give him a competitive advantage as he speeds by defenders, Bale is now providing feedback on adidas golf shoes and apparel. 'I always say in football it was so important to me as I got faster and more powerful, I needed a boot that could withstand the amount of weight I was putting on it so my foot wouldn't move and I was able to react quickly,' he said. 'It's having that same kind of stability through the foot where you can go after a drive knowing where you push off the ground, your foot's not really going to slip inside the shoe and also having the traction on the bottom so you stay on the grass. 'I think it's so important to have the confidence in your footwear that you're able to not really have to think about it so you can concentrate on the more important aspects of your game which is trying to hit the ball straight.' Recently linked to a U.S.-based private equity company eyeing a potential takeover of Plymouth Argyle, whether or not Bale gets into club ownership is still to be determined, but his pursuit of perfection on the course remains. 'I knew I wasn't going to master it quite like I did football,' Bale said. 'It was something I really enjoyed doing and, most importantly, was able to do (during my playing career).'
