Liam Henderson shows how to bounce back as Edinburgh City win two best-of-month awards

James McDonaugh and Liam Henderson with their Ladbrokes awards

LIAM HENDERSON has revealed how being dropped has turned him into a City slicker.

The big defender was dumped by Edinburgh boss James McDonaugh – but his comeback has been spectacular.

Henderson has scored four goals in four games and helped the Citizens to keep three clean sheets as they beat first, third and fourth in Ladbrokes League Two to reignite their title challenge.

Little wonder he has run away with the player of the month award for December.

The 23-year-old said: “I was a bit low when the boss took me out of the team – but it’s been the best thing that’s happened to me.

“We’ve had a brilliant month. Keeping clean sheets is the main thing so I’m happy with that but to get four goals has been amazing, especially as I hadn’t scored for about a year!

“We’ve beaten all the teams around us so it’s a massive platform for the second half of the season.”

McDonaugh said: “It’s amazing because he wasn’t in the team going into December so it was a bit of a big decision to put him back in because Chris Kane had done great for us. But if you talk about taking your opportunity he has done it in some style.”

McDonaugh has made it a City double by landing the Manager of the month award – and he knows they have to build on their success as they travel to Elgin tomorrow.

He feels they are stronger for a poor second half to last season that cost them the chance of title glory.

McDonaugh said: “To get 41 points at the halfway stage is a terrific return. Only the Old Firm, Dundee United and Cove have got more than that and unfortunately Cove are in our league. We know from experience that teams won’t get the same amount of points in the second half of the season. We feel that what happened last year has already influenced what we’re doing in terms of tactics, decision-making and timings of substitutions so here’s hoping that continues.”