Ian Henderson Bidding to Keep Rochdale in Football League

Ian Henderson returned to Rochdale last summer with business left to finish. When he departed the club in 2020, he did so after making 343 appearances for the Dale, scoring 126 goals.

Hendo, as he is affectionately known by fans of the Greater Manchester club, was four goals short of becoming Dale’s all-time leading goalscorer when he bid farewell. After two years down the road with Salford City, the 37-year-old signed a one-year deal with Rochdale last summer, and he finally broke the club’s goalscoring record in a 1-0 victory against his former club Salford back in November.

This man 😍

🐐🐐🐐@ianhenderson___ | #RAFC pic.twitter.com/1JKFnlC3tQ

— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) January 10, 2023

With his personal achievement out of the way, Henderson is now charged with trying to keep Rochdale in League Two. Since joining the Football League in 1921, Dale have never been relegated to non-league football.

Together with Gillingham, Hartlepool, Crawley Town, Harrogate Town, Colchester and Newport County, Rochdale are in danger of finishing in the bottom two this season. As of the 17th of January, they are 11/8 in Betways football betting markets for League Two relegation.

Dale have won just five of their opening 26 league matches this season. They have scored 22 goals and conceded 39 times, leaving them with a -17 goal difference during that period. Only Hartlepool (-23) and Gillingham (-19) have a worse record.

Bentley Gives Dale Some Hope

Robbie Stockdale, the man who brought Henderson back to the Crown Oil Arena, was relieved of his duties by the EFL club back in August. The former Sunderland caretaker boss oversaw the club for just 59 games.

As a player and as a manager, Jim Bentley will always be a #Shrimps legend! 👌#UTS 🦐 pic.twitter.com/SYnXoTXXvK

— Morecambe FC (@MorecambeFC) April 18, 2022

Stockdale was replaced at Rochdale AFC by Jim Bentley who has given Dale fans something to be positive about since arriving. Bentley knows all about managing a club on a limited budget. He was the manager of Morecambe for eight years. The former Shrimps player was the longest-serving manager in the Football League before departing in 2019.

Rochdale have had some notable wins under Bentley. They recorded back-to-back victories over Newport County (away) and Barrow (home) in October, while more recently, they picked up an excellent 2-1 win away to Bradford, with Henderson scoring both goals in that triumph, as you can read on the BBC report on the game.

Bentley has brought in Scott Quigley, on loan from Stockport, and Danny Lloyd, who was released by Gillingham F.C. last season. to his squad since arriving. Those are players he is confident can help Dale in their fight to stay up. He is expected to improve his squad before the January transfer window closes, either with permanent or loan signings.

With the experience he has in League Two, Bentley will understand exactly how important Henderson can be to Dale’s survival hopes this season. His job is to manage his game time wisely to avoid overplaying the 38-year-old. 

Henderson’s Career Was Saved at Rochdale

When he arrived at Rochdale back in 2011, Henderson’s career was not going anywhere. After leaving Norwich City, the club he began his professional career with, he had spells with Northampton, Luton, Ankaragucu and Colchester.

Henderson has revealed in an interview with the Guardian, that the then Rochdale manager Keith Hill convinced him to join the League Two club. Under his former boss, he flourished, and he finally found a club that felt like home.

With Hill in charge, Henderson and Rochdale gained promotion twice out of League Two. They also finished eighth and ninth in League One, a fantastic achievement for a club of their size and budget.

Henderson was Rochdale’s leading scoring in six consecutive seasons in League One. In the 2014/15 campaign, he finished with 22 league goals. He also hit the magic 20 goals mark in the 2018/19 season.

As of the 17th of January, Henderson has scored seven League Two goals this season. He is on course to be their top goalscorer once again. The veteran striker and Devante Rodney are a long way clear of the rest of their teammates when it comes to goals scored this year.

When he hangs up his boots at the end of his career, Henderson is a player who is always going to be associated with Rochdale. He will be hoping one of his last gifts to the club is to keep them in the Football League, which will mean just as much to him as breaking the goalscoring record back in November.