Former Grimsby Town goalkeeper Dean Henderson became just the fourth player to have represented the Mariners and won a major European trophy after captaining Crystal Palace to UEFA Europa Conference League glory on Wednesday night.

Henderson led the Eagles to a historic 1-0 victory over Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig, as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half strike secured Crystal Palace’s first-ever European title and added another landmark moment to the goalkeeper’s remarkable rise through the game.

The 29-year-old, who also lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace in 2025 before being named club captain earlier this year, played a key role throughout the club’s European campaign and has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers.

For Mariners supporters, Henderson’s success is especially pleasing given the important role his spell at Blundell Park played in shaping his career.

The goalkeeper arrived on loan from Manchester United in August 2016 and initially had to remain patient behind James McKeown before finally making his Football League debut in a Boxing Day victory over Accrington Stanley. From there, Henderson never looked back.

He made seven appearances for Town, keeping four clean sheets, and quickly established himself as first-choice goalkeeper under Marcus Bignot before being recalled by Manchester United midway through the campaign. Henderson himself has frequently credited his time at Grimsby as the period where his mentality and belief truly developed.

Speaking in an interview reflecting on his career journey, Henderson described his months with the Mariners as the moment “it clicked”.

“I was there for three months and I was devastated because I was training really well every single day, working hard, knowing I was good enough to play but I kept getting knocked back. And then a new manager came in, Marcus Bignot, probably about three weeks before my loan was due to end in the January, and I went in and played. He put me in and from then on I was first choice until United recalled me.

“When I was at Grimsby, that was when it clicked, all my belief came and I started being able to jump higher, move quicker and I think that comes from maybe development of my body as well.”

Since leaving Cleethorpes, Henderson’s career has continued on an upward trajectory through spells with Sheffield United, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and now Crystal Palace, alongside international recognition with England. His Conference League triumph now places him in an exclusive group of former Mariners to have won major European honours.

The full list is:

• Garry Birtles – two-time European Cup winner and UEFA Super Cup winner with Nottingham Forest
• Neil Webb – UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup winner with Manchester United
• George McEachran – UEFA Europa League winner with Chelsea
• Dean Henderson – UEFA Europa Conference League winner with Crystal Palace

Birtles famously won back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980 before later finishing his playing career at Blundell Park, helping Town secure successive promotions.

Webb, meanwhile, enjoyed a hugely successful career with Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, winning the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup before a spell with the Mariners during the 1996/97 season.

Outgoing Mariners midfielder George McEachran also has a European honour on his CV. A product of Chelsea’s academy system, McEachran was named among the substitutes for the Blues during their 2019 UEFA Europa League Final victory over Arsenal in Baku.

Now Henderson has added his own name to that distinguished list – another remarkable achievement for a player whose journey to the top included an important chapter in black and white. Everyone at Grimsby Town congratulates Dean on his fantastic achievement.

UTM