Darius Henderson
Encyclopedia
Darius Alexis Henderson (born 7 September 1981 in Sutton
, England
) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Millwall
.
, making his début as a substitute in March 2000, in a 3–0 loss to Burnley
. After a further two substitute appearances he made his first start, in a 2–1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers
in April, although he was substituted at half-time. He made a further two appearances that season.
Despite his spell in the team towards the end of that season, he was limited to six appearances in the 2000–01
campaign. However, he became a regular in the Reading side in Division Two
. His first League goals came in a 4–0 win over Luton Town
, in which he scored twice. He made a further 24 appearances for Reading in the 2002–03
season, mostly in the latter part of the campaign, scoring four goals, but was loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion
for the start of the 2003–04
season for whom he scored two goals in ten games in a two month spell. He made what was to be his final appearance for Reading in November 2003, before being sold to Gillingham
for a nominal fee in January 2004. He had scored 11 goals in 71 games for Reading.
season, he was loaned to League One
side Swindon Town
, for whom he scored an impressive five goals in six appearances. Returning to Priestfield
, Gillingham were already struggling in the lower reaches of the Championship
. Henderson became a regular in the side's struggle for survival, scoring 11 goals.
season due to start, he became part of Adrian Boothroyd
's reshaped Watford
side, joining for a fee of £450,000. Signed the day before the first game of the season, he made his début and scored in the 2–1 loss to Preston North End
which opened the season. Henderson went on to be an integral part of Watford's successful season in the Championship, scoring 14 goals – nine of which were headers – in 27 games as they finished third, including a splendid half-volley in the local derby away at Luton Town. He also scored a penalty in Watford's 3–0 win against Leeds United
in the Championship play-off final, as Watford were promoted to the Premier League. A passionate player, Henderson amassed six yellow cards and one red in the 2005–06 season.
While in the Premiership, it was not until 10 February 2007, that he scored his first goal of the season, against West Ham United
at The Boleyn Ground
in a 1–0. He soon notched his second, hooking in from close range against Wigan Athletic. His final goal of the season came away at Tottenham.
In the 2007–08
season, with Watford back in the Championship, Henderson scored thirteen league goals, including five in September. Two of these came in the last 10 minutes against Southampton, as, after coming on as a substitute, Henderson led Watford to victory. Henderson was named as the Championship Player of the Month for September. Henderson continued his good form until Christmas. Only three goals, however, came after the turn of the year. After being suspended for the first leg of the club's play-off semi-final against Hull City
, Henderson returned to score the first goal in the second leg at the KC Stadium
. However, Watford went on to lose the game 4–1, and 6–1 on aggregate. Henderson had been a highly popular player, and came third in the Player of the Season competition.
after a fee of £2 million was agreed, with the possibility of further payments depending on appearances. He made his début for the Blades in a 1–0 away defeat on the opening day of the season against Birmingham City
. He scored his first goal in Blades colours at the end of August, away at Huddersfield
in the second round of the League Cup
. Although a regular starter he missed a number of matches through injury and suspension, scoring only 6 more goals in the 2008–09 season.
The following season he was again favoured as the Blades main striker and netted twelve times before once again being hit with an injury that would eventually keep him out for almost twelve months. Henderson returned to the Blades first team in March 2011 but was red carded during his first game back and made only eight appearances that season, scoring two goals, as the Blades slipped to relegation.
On the 22nd October 2011, Henderson scored a Hat-Trick against Leicester City. The game ended 3-0 to Millwall and earnt the team valuable points to steer them out of the relegation zone.
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
.
Reading
Derlock Henderson started his career at ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, making his début as a substitute in March 2000, in a 3–0 loss to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. After a further two substitute appearances he made his first start, in a 2–1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
in April, although he was substituted at half-time. He made a further two appearances that season.
Despite his spell in the team towards the end of that season, he was limited to six appearances in the 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
campaign. However, he became a regular in the Reading side in Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. His first League goals came in a 4–0 win over Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, in which he scored twice. He made a further 24 appearances for Reading in the 2002–03
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
season, mostly in the latter part of the campaign, scoring four goals, but was loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
for the start of the 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season for whom he scored two goals in ten games in a two month spell. He made what was to be his final appearance for Reading in November 2003, before being sold to Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
for a nominal fee in January 2004. He had scored 11 goals in 71 games for Reading.
Gillingham
Unfortunately for Henderson, he was injured just a month after joining Gillingham, and did not play for the remainder of the 2003–04 season. Early in the 2004–052004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, he was loaned to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, for whom he scored an impressive five goals in six appearances. Returning to Priestfield
Priestfield Stadium
Priestfield Stadium is a football stadium in Gillingham, Kent...
, Gillingham were already struggling in the lower reaches of the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Henderson became a regular in the side's struggle for survival, scoring 11 goals.
Watford
With the 2005–062005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season due to start, he became part of Adrian Boothroyd
Adrian Boothroyd
Adrian Neil "Aidy" Boothroyd is an English former footballer and is currently managing Northampton Town after being sacked as manager of Coventry City on March 14, 2011. He was manager of Watford of the Championship until 3 November 2008...
's reshaped Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
side, joining for a fee of £450,000. Signed the day before the first game of the season, he made his début and scored in the 2–1 loss to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
which opened the season. Henderson went on to be an integral part of Watford's successful season in the Championship, scoring 14 goals – nine of which were headers – in 27 games as they finished third, including a splendid half-volley in the local derby away at Luton Town. He also scored a penalty in Watford's 3–0 win against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in the Championship play-off final, as Watford were promoted to the Premier League. A passionate player, Henderson amassed six yellow cards and one red in the 2005–06 season.
While in the Premiership, it was not until 10 February 2007, that he scored his first goal of the season, against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at The Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
in a 1–0. He soon notched his second, hooking in from close range against Wigan Athletic. His final goal of the season came away at Tottenham.
In the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season, with Watford back in the Championship, Henderson scored thirteen league goals, including five in September. Two of these came in the last 10 minutes against Southampton, as, after coming on as a substitute, Henderson led Watford to victory. Henderson was named as the Championship Player of the Month for September. Henderson continued his good form until Christmas. Only three goals, however, came after the turn of the year. After being suspended for the first leg of the club's play-off semi-final against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, Henderson returned to score the first goal in the second leg at the KC Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
. However, Watford went on to lose the game 4–1, and 6–1 on aggregate. Henderson had been a highly popular player, and came third in the Player of the Season competition.
Sheffield United
In July 2008 Henderson signed a 4 year contract with Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
after a fee of £2 million was agreed, with the possibility of further payments depending on appearances. He made his début for the Blades in a 1–0 away defeat on the opening day of the season against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He scored his first goal in Blades colours at the end of August, away at Huddersfield
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
in the second round of the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
. Although a regular starter he missed a number of matches through injury and suspension, scoring only 6 more goals in the 2008–09 season.
The following season he was again favoured as the Blades main striker and netted twelve times before once again being hit with an injury that would eventually keep him out for almost twelve months. Henderson returned to the Blades first team in March 2011 but was red carded during his first game back and made only eight appearances that season, scoring two goals, as the Blades slipped to relegation.
Millwall
With the Blades struggling to maintain their wage bill following their relegation to League One they agreed to sell Henderson to Championship side Millwall at the end of June 2011 for an undisclosed fee.On the 22nd October 2011, Henderson scored a Hat-Trick against Leicester City. The game ended 3-0 to Millwall and earnt the team valuable points to steer them out of the relegation zone.
External links
- Darius Henderson profile at watfordfc.co.uk
- Darius Henderson profile at sufc.co.uk