Crystal Palace were trophyless in their 120-year existence, and much like London buses, two came along at once in 2025. That felt like the pinnacle. Previously unknown emotions were unleashed — particularly the feeling of completion — which was tough for Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson to deal with, feeling empty after the ecstasy of winning the FA Cup.
“The high to the low,” Henderson confessed. “I remember three days after the FA Cup final, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was like, ‘What has gone on here?’. I swear. I don’t know whether that was alcohol or… But I actually think it was like, I felt depressed. It was mad. But I don’t know why. I’ve never really spoken about it. It’s the emotions of it.”
Yet that was not to be the end. On Wednesday night, this already immortal group of players have another shot at history in the final of the Uefa Conference League against Rayo Vallecano.
Palace’s inner battles
“You’re engaged the week before,” Henderson continued as he set his sights on Leipzig. “Naturally, you’re thinking about it. For the last couple of weeks, you’re thinking, ‘let’s try to win the final’. It’s natural. No one speaks about it. No one speaks about it to each other. It’s just about your individual battles, isn’t it?”
