It is no easy feat to make the transition from academy to first-team football, and even more so when you are a goalkeeper.
However, this is precisely what former Manchester United youth keeper Dean Henderson did when he took over from David De Gea in the United goal.
After impressing in loan spells at EFL League One side Shrewsbury and back-to-back seasons at Sheffield United, Henderson was vocal about his desire to become the number-one choice at Old Trafford.
He grasped the opportunity to do so in the 2020/21 season, recording 12 clean sheets from 26 matches in all competitions.
Despite assurances that he would be the United number one for the following campaign, he predominantly featured on the bench, much to Hendersons frustration.
The Cumbrian-born keeper continued expressing his desire to play regularly and secured a loan switch to then-newly promoted Nottingham Forest for the 2022/23 season.
Injury cut short his campaign in January 2023, but he impressed at the City Ground.
The East Midlands side tried to make the deal permanent in the recent transfer window, but United were reluctant to sell without first bringing in a replacement.
Forest subsequently opted for Arsenals Matt Turner, and Henderson had to wait towards the end of the window to finalise his move away from the north-west.
Henderson eventually moved to Premier League side Crystal Palace for a reported £20 million fee.
However, interestingly, it is not a foregone conclusion that Henderson will be the first-choice keeper for the Eagles.
The present holder of the number one jersey at Palace is current England international Sam Johnstone, who, like Henderson, is a product of the Manchester United academy.
In further parallels, Johnstone has also plied his trade in the lower divisions on loan spells.
In this tactical analysis, we will analyse the performance of the current first choice, Johnstone, to determine why he is the preferred option in goal.
This analysis will examine statistics from previous seasons to compare the two goalkeepers Palace boss Roy Hodgson has available.
We will also analyse Johnstone and Hendersons possession attributes to determine whether they conform to Palaces tactics.
Sam Johnstone Scouting Report the current first-choice
When Hodgson arrived back at Selhurst Park for his second stint as manager, Palace were in freefall.
They had failed to win in their previous 12 league matches.
Prior to Hodgsons arrival, the South London side conceded 1.42 goals per match during this 12-game period.
The former England manager guided his side to five wins and three draws from the remaining 10 matches to secure the clubs Premier League survival.
Furthermore, Palace reduced their goals-against rate during this time and were conceding 1.1 goals per match following Hodgsons appointment.
Hodgson didnt vary much from his predecessor, Patrick Vieira, with his chosen back four.
However, the veteran manager did opt to change his goalkeeper, as Johnstones introduction to the matchday line-up coincided with Hodgsons reappointment.
Johnstone made an immediate impact in his first league match, in which the Eagles defeated Leeds United 5-1.
Johnstone vs Leeds" width="1379" height="781" />
The graphic shows that Johnstone saved 85% of the shots on target at Elland Road.
All of these saves came in the first half prior to Palaces equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Palace then dominated the second half and would go on to win the game.
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