Returning loan keeper Stephen Henderson is delighted to be back at Portman Road, having signed a loan until the end of the season prior to yesterday’s deadline. The West Ham keeper looks likely to start when Middlesbrough are in Suffolk on Saturday afternoon.

Henderson told the club site: “It was a bit of a mental day yesterday but fortunately it all got done in the end and I’m delighted to be back here.

“I spoke to the manager here and he told me he was keen for me to come back and I wanted to come back.

“I had a word with Sam Allardyce as well. Sam knows that I want to go out and play games and I’m grateful to West Ham for giving me the opportunity to do that at Ipswich.

“I know I had some tough times at the start of my first spell here when we let in five and six. I looked at those games to see what went wrong from my end and coming through that period has made me mentally stronger.”

The Irishman, whose loan deal includes a 24-hour recall clause, says he gets on well with fellow keepers Scott Loach and Arran Lee-Barrett: “It’s good to be back working on the training ground again with Scott and Arran. They are great lads.

“We’re competing for only one place in the team. That’s the hard part of being a goalkeeper but you need that competition at any club.

“Scott was fully behind me when I was in the team and he knows I’ll be supporting him if he gets the nod."

Photo: Action Images

oscarwhiting added 16:09 - Feb 1 Seems a bit harsh that loach is gonna be dropped after his run in the team, I know we haven't won any games but from the sound of it we payed quit well.
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Seasider added 16:19 - Feb 1 I think that he is marginally better than Scotty,and what is more still improving but still makes the odd error.I feel that goalkeepers come under greater scrutiny and sometimes take the blame uneccessarily.Feel in those early days Bradley Orr was very shakey against speed merchants as thought he was a bit pedestrian. Yesterday TWTD said it would be a quiet day and EADT the contrary.Looks like you were right Phil!Just lost out on a speedy midfielder probably a wide man so feel MM did better than PJ in Jan tf window. Now need to get scoring goals and picking up points,as'easy' run of games over;so still fear relegation to 3rd tier for the first time in 55 years. Hope we do stay up,and ME splashes a bit more cash,as hate to think what will happen if Ipswich go down.

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SamWhiteUK added 16:33 - Feb 1 Good shot-stopper, but his distribution is APPALLING. Feel for Loach if he gets dropped.
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rosseden added 16:44 - Feb 1 wouldnt mind seeing us in for Robinson in the close season seeing as hes outcast at Blackburn.... cant see Henderson coming longer term, but Robinson, with the right management is a formidable keeper......
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scotty2hottyITFC added 17:18 - Feb 1 I'm certainly NOT delighted! He can't even kick the ball past the centre circle from a goal kick! Or do anything else really.
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Mark added 17:27 - Feb 1 It's disappointing when McCarthy himself said he was looking for better options than Henderson with a 24-hour recall clause and we end up with Henderson with a 24-hour recall clause. At least we are not reliant on Lee-Barrett as backup like when we had Stockdale with a 24-hour recall, but then Stockdale is rated more highly than Henderson.
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footyblue added 17:31 - Feb 1 @mark ALB never let the team down last season and kept as many if not more clean sheets as the others
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Portman51 added 17:45 - Feb 1 Henderson, Loach and ALB are all pretty average IMO. Haven't had a decent signed 'keeper since Neil Alexander or a decent loanee since Amir Begovic. Quite why Stoke have spent big on Butland is beyond me with AB on the books.... or have I missed something?
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Ipswichbusiness added 17:46 - Feb 1 Remember that we're paying Henderson's salary and getting a 'keeper who is no better than Loach, our permanent no.1, and will block Loach getting the chances for first team experience and improvement.
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Karlosfandangal added 18:23 - Feb 1 Glad it was a quiet transfer day, town moved early instead of the joke last year trying to sign 3 players a 5 o'clock at night. Still sign 6 player in Jan so fingers crossed we will be all right
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TrumptonBlue added 18:27 - Feb 1 @Portman51 - The feeling is that Begovic will be gone in the summer, so Stoke are planning ahead. Butland is back on loan at Birmingham for the rest of the season, ready to take over as first choice at Stoke when Begovic leaves. Butland turned down Chelsea because he wanted to be a first choice keeper, so it seems likely he knows Begovic will be off.
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No32 added 19:06 - Feb 1 Delighted to be back... Yep, Ok... Like all the modern 'pro's' this guy says what suits and when. Asked about ITFC at about 5pm yesterday - I wonder what his response would have been when he thought he was off to Blackburn....?
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Morgan added 19:15 - Feb 1 To be fair to him the competition seemed to up Loach after he left lets hope we can do well from them both fighting for places and Loach remains settled
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footyblue added 20:24 - Feb 1 If Loach is dropped it will damage his confidence and after doing well since coming back into the team he deserves a run
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Talbs77 added 20:58 - Feb 1 I think its extremely harsh on Loach, they boy hasnt done much wrong, but thats football, the team winning is all that matters, sentiment dont win games.
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rogie_dog added 21:21 - Feb 1 Of course you're delighted to be back Stephen.
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carsey added 21:54 - Feb 1 Frankly I am bloody unhappy with this. Henderson is certainly no better than Scott Loach IMO and he is one of ours. Why do we keep taking other clubs players and giving them match time and keeping them fit. It's not as if Big Fat Sam is a friend of this club so why do him a favour.
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blueherts added 12:52 - Feb 2 Sorensen at Stoke good keeper
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