- Jordan Henderson shone as Ajax held Aston Villa to 0-0 in the Europa League
- The 33-year-old still has plenty to offer Gareth Southgate’s England at Euro 2024
- Arsenal are making mugs of us, showing they don’t need a number 9 and Kai Havertz has become Mikel Arteta’s go-to guy – It all starts podcast
Jordan Henderson believes he still has a lot to offer England at Euro 2024 and in his first game against Premier League opponents since leaving Liverpool, he showed exactly why.
The former England captain’s place in Gareth Southgate’s squad has become a subject of intense debate since his departure from Anfield – not to mention his disastrous move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, where he spent just six months.
If Henderson is no longer playing in a top European league, the argument goes, how can he ever earn his place against midfielders who play every week in the English top flight, which is regularly labeled as the best league in the world?
But with his performance for Ajax against Aston Villa on Thursday, Henderson proved he would still be a valuable member of the England squad in Germany. He no longer has the physical strength or athleticism to start against England’s main rivals, but a close study of his performance against Villa showed his enduring qualities.
Henderson didn’t keep his mouth shut for 90 minutes. Barking instructions to Kenneth Taylor to ensure he held his position when Villa had the ball. Jorrel Hato praised after the hugely promising 18-year-old centre-back advanced from defense and played a glorious through ball to Brian Brobbey.
Jordan Henderson proved in Ajax’s draw against Aston Villa that he can still be a valuable asset for England
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He urged Brobbey to continue after the striker squandered his chance to put Ajax ahead in the first half. Grabbing the ball in difficult positions and keeping Ajax moving. Talk, talk, talk.
“He is a real professional,” said Ajax coach John van ‘t Schip. “He’s a leader, as you can see on the field. The boys feel that and accept that, so in that way he helps the team a lot.
‘He had a difficult start because he came from Saudi Arabia and didn’t play for a month and obviously wasn’t happy. He immediately rediscovered his joy in training and playing, but had a bit of bad luck in the first matches he played here.
‘We didn’t get the results he wanted, but now you can see that he is very important, not only on the pitch but also off it. He talks about things that can improve the entire environment and also guides the players.
The 33-year-old’s leadership qualities were on full display when he captained the Dutch side
‘If you saw his performance against Villa and how he played against PSV Eindhoven, those were two very big games, for sure (he can still do something for England). Southgate knows very well what he can get from Jordan.’
Van ‘t Schip is worth listening to. At the 1990 World Cup he was part of the Dutch team with Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman. Four world-class players in one team should be a virtual guarantee of success, but the Netherlands bowed out and were eliminated without winning a match. Sometimes talent alone is not enough.
It took just six months and 17 games at Al-Ettifaq, where he earned £700,000 a week, for Henderson to understand that all the money in the world could not replace European football. He joined Ajax not only to put himself back into the England picture, but also to feel alive again.
Ajax boss John van ‘t Schip has praised Henderson’s impact since joining the club in January
Gareth Southgate is well aware of how important it can be to have the likes of Henderson in the dressing room at a major tournament
An important point here is that most English opponents are not at the level of the best Premier League teams. You wouldn’t support Serbia, Denmark or Slovenia – the teams in the English group in Germany – finishing in the Champions League places. Henderson should be able to do it against those teams if called upon.
Then you remember the weight Southgate places on team harmony. Conor Coady didn’t play a single minute at Euro 2020 three years ago but was praised for his attitude and effort as England reached the final only to be defeated by Italy on penalties. Henderson would provide that and more.
Every successful team contains characters like Henderson. Even if he is not included in Southgate’s squad next week, he deserves his place in Germany this summer.
