The then 26-year-old England international signed a five-year contract with the club, becoming Palace’s third senior arrival of the 2023 summer transfer window alongside Jefferson Lerma and Matheus França, and made his Premier League debut for the club away at Manchester City in December as the Eagles fought back from two goals down.
Like many goalkeepers before him, Henderson started as an outfield player, on the books of Carlisle United as a schoolboy.
He wasn’t just a footballer, however, and was an accomplished enough cricketer to be noticed at county level as a wicket keeper.
Joining Manchester United as a 14-year-old, Henderson quickly rose through the ranks and was soon the Under-18s regular goalkeeper, earning a nomination for the club’s prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.
He began to gain experience out on loan, joining first Stockport County in non-league and then Grimsby Town in League Two, before being recalled to provide cover for Manchester United’s injury crisis.
A full season with Shrewsbury Town saw his reputation sky-rocket, and he began to feature for England’s Under-21s side while earning a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year.
Henderson’s move to Sheffield United on loan in 2018/19 saw the Blades secure a first promotion to the Premier League since 2007, and the ‘keeper shone.
He scooped the Championship Golden Glove award (keeping 20 clean sheets), the Blades' Young Player of the Year award and the Community Player of the Year award, for his work in the local area.
It was during this season that Henderson was also called up to the senior England squad for the first time in October 2019.
Returning to Sheffield United a year later, he won the Young Player of the Year award once again, keeping 11 clean sheets as the Yorkshire side earned a historic top-half Premier League finish.
And he also made the next step up internationally, coming on at half-time for his senior Three Lions debut when he replaced Nick Pope in a 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in a November 2020 friendly.
After his stellar performances on loan, Henderson returned to his parent club and began to compete with David De Gea for the No. 1 spot.
He made his senior debut in the League Cup in September 2020 before making his Champions League debut just over a month later. His Premier League bow for the Red Devils came against Southampton in November as a replacement for the injured Spaniard.
Henderson made the No. 1 spot his own in De Gea’s absence, playing 13 Premier League games and making 26 appearances overall during the 2020/21 campaign.
However, De Gea’s return saw his first-team opportunities limited, and so another loan beckoned – this time to Nottingham Forest, where Henderson impressed once again before injury curtailed his 2022/23 season.
Now, in south London, Henderson had to wait for his chance to make his debut between the sticks as his friend and fellow England teammate Sam Johnstone impressed early on in 2023/24. Ironically, Henderson's debut came against his boyhood club Man Utd in the Carabao Cup.
He lasted only 20 minutes at Old Trafford due to a hamstring injury, however he returned to make his Premier League debut a few months later - also in Manchester, albeit against the sky blue half at the Etihad.
His first season in red and blue concluded with 19 appearances in all competitions, with five clean sheets to boot. Henderson's performances in the latter part of the campaign earned him a spot in the senior England squad which finished runners-up in the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
In 2024/25, Henderson took the No. 1 jersey and made it his own - playing in every single minute of every game in the Premier League. He also played three games in the FA Cup and kept three clean sheets, including one in the final against Manchester City.
Henderson was named Player of the Match for his heroics in the FA Cup final, where he produced save after save and even stopped Omar Marmoush's spot-kick.
He carried that brilliant form into 2025/26, producing two decisive saves in the Community Shield shoot-out victory over Liverpool as Palace lifted the trophy for the first time in their history, further underlining his status as the club’s undisputed No. 1.
Following Marc Guéhi’s departure midway through the campaign, Henderson was appointed club captain and started 37 of the Eagles’ 38 Premier League matches, keeping 11 clean sheets. His leadership and consistency were crucial to Palace’s historic UEFA Conference League triumph, with his performances also earning selection in England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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