2026-05-08 10:31:51
Dean Henderson says Crystal Palace are determined to secure a Europa League spot by winning the Conference League.
The Eagles booked a place in a first-ever European final with a 2-1 win (5-2 on aggregate) against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday (07.05.26) and the goalkeeper says the team are desperate for a place in Europe’s second-tier competition after controversially missing out on a place in the tournament this year, despite winning the FA Cup last season, due to breaching multi-club ownership rules.
Henderson told TNT Sports: “When you’re coming from a game like [the FA Cup final] last season, it gives you confidence, it makes you hungry for the next thing.
“We’ve got an ambitious group of players, don’t forget that. And it’s pretty incredible, to even get into a European competition with Crystal Palace, let alone make a final. And we need to deliver something special, and we need to get back what we deserve.”
The England goalkeeper described reaching the Leipzig showpiece as “incredible” as Palace seek only their second-ever major trophy against Spanish outfit Rayo Vallecano later this month.
Henderson said: “Obviously, for this football club you see the connections between the players and the supporters. It’s fantastic, it’s unbelievable.
“The manager came in, he made the team believe we can win any game. It’s been a difficult season with the amount of games we’ve played but we’ve delivered another final which is fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Palace midfielder Adam Wharton hailed departing manager Oliver Glasner and the impact he has had on the team.
He said: “You saw when he came in, we were in incredible form in the Premier League and then last year, the FA Cup, an incredible run. And then this year in Europe, first time in Europe.
“For a club like Crystal Palace, it’s massive and it’s incredibly difficult. So many more fixtures, small squad, we were running thin in December and January, it was tough. But we grinded through it, the fans stuck with us and this is the reward. We get one final chance to make a massive statement on Palace’s history.”
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