Falkirk ace Liam Henderson so happy to have Coll Donaldson back as defender previews Scottish Cup tie.

Having not started a league match alongside centre-back partner Coll Donaldson for nearly a year, Falkirk ace Liam Henderson expressed his delight at having the experience defender back alongside him in the Bairns’ backline.

The club captain, 30, has worked his way back to full fitness after a number of injury woes and has now started the last two Scottish Premiership outings. And during the 5-1 thumping of Kilmarnock last weekend - Donaldson found himself starting with Henderson for the first time since the 3-1 loss to Raith Rovers in the second tier back in April 2025.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Dundee United, Henderson hailed the return of the influential defender, who has made a massive impact since joining back-to-back SPFL title winners Falkirk.

Having Coll back is class, says Falkirk ace Henderson

He said: “It’s brilliant. He's my mate outside of football and we've played a lot of games together from League One through to the Championship so we know how each other work. Coll’s a leader on and off the field so it gives me a wee extra help with speaking at the back and I can have a wee breather sometimes because he can talk. He's a top player as well and he knows the game inside out so to get that experience back beside me has been brilliant.

“He's moanier now! No I am only kidding. He’s been injury and pain free which has helped him. He's back to hitting his massive diagonals, he's stepping in, he's reading the game. It must be a massive relief for him. Coll’s always been a top player, he's proved himself time and time again and to go through what he's gone through, going down to London three or four times for operations, he must have been through hell like and I feel for him. I sent him a message when he came back against Hearts. I was so delighted to see him back on the pitch and doing what he loves best and playing football. Huge huge credit to him and the gaffer for sticking by him and the club for sticking by him.”

Falkirk face Jim Goodwin’s side under the lights on Friday with a spot at Hampden up for grabs. The draw is a favourable one for both clubs with Celtic or Rangers meeting over the weekend while the likes of Hibs and Hearts are already out of the competition. The likes of Falkirk have a brilliant chance of winning silverware and a shot at European football next season.

Dundee United not an easy opponent

“They're a top side and they've got huge players,” Henderson said of United. “They've got experience, they've got energy and they're going to be really hard to break down again. I think we got caught up during the last game - it was a bit of basketball game. It can potentially be a flip of the coin who wins the game when it’s like that and obviously the mistake that I make for the red card doesn't help. We've got some boys back now for this one.”

Henderson is one of the remaining Falkirk stars who actually played in the Bairns’ last semi-final appearance. The then-midfielder started at Hampden against Inverness Caley Thistle, but he couldn’t help McGlynn’s new side create even more history by reaching the final. The 3-0 defeat that day was a sore one, with Leon McCann’s handball earning Thistle a penalty after just five minutes. It didn’t get any better after that.

It still a proud day for Henderson: “I remember the pre-match build-up. We stayed overnight at a hotel in Glasgow and just the excitement and the build-up was brilliant. And then being able to walk out at Hampden and seeing all the Falkirk fans singing and all your family and friends are there it was such a surreal moment. The scoreline wasn't great but you are just trying to have a smile on your face when you're walking out and trying to relish and enjoy the moment and hopefully we can, like I said, we can get back to that stage and maybe have a different scoreline.”