DEAN HENDERSON had a secret penalty cheat sheet as he became Crystal Palace’s hero in the Community Shield against Liverpool.
A thrilling game saw the Eagles draw 2-2 in regulation time against Premier League champions Liverpool, despite twice going behind.
It meant the Wembley showdown had to be decided by a penalty shootout for the third season running.
And Palace managed to follow the example of Manchester City and Arsenal in the two previous editions by winning the game on penalties, making history with their first-ever Shield win.
They were carried to that by Henderson, who saved the penalty kicks of Alexis Mac Allister – hilariously doffing his cap after doing so – and Harvey Elliott, before Justin Devenny scored the winner for the South London club.
But Henderson’s penalty-saving secret accompanied him on his water bottle, which he was seen checking live on TNT Sports after he unwrapped it from a towel.
Speaking to TNT Sports about his starring shootout display, the former Manchester United star said: “Yeah I love the big moments.
“I love being in that pressure moment and I really enjoyed that today.
“The preparation we did for the penalties was great. So thanks to everyone behind the scenes who helped me with that.”
Asked about his towel-covered bottle cheat sheet after the game, he added: “Maybe, maybe. I’m sure you’ll find it.”
It is not the first time the 28-year-old has been at the centre of penalty heroics for Oliver Glasner’s side.
In the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Henderson managed to save an Omar Marmoush spot-kick to ensure that Eberechi Eze’s strike after 16 minutes was the match-winner.
In an interview to BBC Sport after that game, he had said: “To be fair, [Erling] Haaland might have stepped [up], I wasn’t sure which way he’d go.
“He gave it to Marmoush, I knew which way he was going. I knew I’d save it.”
Following the FA Cup final, the goalkeeper had been seen in an argument with Pep Guardiola, though he avoided any such controversy with Reds boss Arne Slot this time around.
Henderson joined Palace in 2023 from Man Utd and has gone on to play 65 times for the Selhurst Park outfit.
While Henderson had access to his cheat sheet, Lioness hero Hannah Hampton revealed earlier this week how she had chucked the bottle of Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll into the crowd to deny her access to the knowledge it possessed.
She explained on talkSPORT: “The Spanish keeper had it on her bottle.
“So I thought when she was going in goal I’ll just pick it up and throw it into the English fans so she can’t have it.
“I never put it on a bottle because anyone can do that, so that’s why I put it on my arm.
“It wasn’t hard, when she’s in the goal it’s on its own isn’t it? You just pick it up?
“When she saw my bottle in there instead, mine’s blank but it has the same sponsors and stuff so I just put mine in there, chucked hers in with the fans and she had an empty bottle.
“She was walking back and I was walking the other way and she was so confused, I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing!”
The cheeky bit of gamesmanship paid dividends as England won the Euros for the second time running, to beat the world champions in Switzerland.
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