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Paul Parker: “United have put themselves and De Gea in an awkward position”

David de Gea
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Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker believes Dean Henderson will challenge David de Gea for the place in Solskjaer’s XI.

David de Gea will face a tough challenge from Dean Henderson for the No. 1 goalkeeper place at Old Trafford.

The 23-year old Englishman, who spent the last season on loan at Sheffield United, signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils earlier this summer.

He made his official debut for the club keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Luton last Tuesday.

And he is not going to stop there, according to former Man United defender Paul Parker, who claims that Henderson has already set his eyes on De Gea’s place in the first team.

“What I would like to think is that Henderson has looked at De Gea, a vastly experienced goalkeeper, and he has thought to himself that he can compete and eventually beat him out as the club’s first-choice,” said Parker via Goal.

“I hope that was his motivating factor, not the huge new contract he got, otherwise he should have gone back on loan to Sheffield United.

“If he is up for the challenge though, and I have no reason to think otherwise, then he deserves a lot of credit.

“It’s easy these days for players to be content, to stay comfortable. It would have been very easy for him to go back to Sheffield United, where he knows everyone and is the undisputed first-choice, but fair play to him for testing himself.

“I don’t think you can give as much credit to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Manchester United as a whole. They’ve put themselves, and De Gea, in a very awkward situation.

“We all know De Gea is going to come back into the starting line-up for Saturday’s game against Brighton but what happens then if he makes an error? Every goal they concede now is going to be dissected more than before,” he concluded.

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