Crystal Palace boss Hodgson praises Henderson attitude

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson is delighted with the attitude with Dean Henderson.

The England goalkeeper has struggled with injury since his August move from Manchester United.

Hodgson said: I'm looking an ideal scenario where it would've been nice to have kept him back and kept him working and strengthening his hamstringing before we had to say: 'No, you are playing'.

But he himself because he now considers himself to be fit enough to play, can't wait. So that's a positive in that respect and I think we are very fortunate that when you lose a goalkeeper of Sam Johnston's quality, you have another one of Henderson's quality to bring into the team.

He was good and I mean he had that chance against Manchester United and the very bad injury occurred, which was devastating for him because he came here wanting to take the challenge on and put me under the pressure to decide which goalkeeper do I want to put in the team.

Strangely enough, that situation hasn't really occurred because it's only now that he's even close to being able to say: 'You've got to consider me'. But being pushed in maybe a little bit earlier than certainly the medical department might've wanted he wants it by the way that situation might suit him even more.

Because he might be looking at the situation now where he works some days and says: 'Well, I've not been able to get a hold of the shirt because Johnstone's done so well. Now, I'm going to show that it'd be hard for Johnstone to get the shirt from me.'

That's good competition and I'll have to deal with that when the time comes. But any problems of that nature that I don't have to deal with at this moment in time, I'll happily push to the future and worry about it when the time comes."