HIGHLIGHTS
- Rooney believes Jordan Henderson should be in the England squad because of his leadership abilities.
- Even with Harry Kane as captain, England’s young side lacks vocal leadership and experience in the middle of the pitch.
- Southgate still has time to resolve performance problems before the Three Lions take on Slovenia in their last group encounter.
Amid inquests from outside the England camp following the Three Lions’ poor start to EURO 2024, Wayne Rooney believes Jordan Henderson should have been chosen in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad.
The former Manchester United and England icon made the surprising revelation after England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark on matchday two of Group C. And, while some perspective is required, with the Three Lions currently sitting first and best-placed to advance as winners of the group, which also includes Serbia and Slovenia, the performance standards have been a major source of concern for those watching in the stands and at home.
Southgate was praised prior to the tournament for abandoning his allegiances to particular individuals in favor of a more aggressive group, with a hint of bravery demonstrated when the likes of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford were left out due to poor club form. However, England’s lack of inventiveness has raised the possibility that Southgate selected an inexperienced squad, and Rooney believes Henderson was overlooked.
What Rooney Said About Henderson.
The former Liverpool player’s leadership is lacking in the current group.
Henderson, who succeeded Steven Gerrard as Liverpool captain in 2015, led the Reds to the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup, and he was a vocal leader throughout the club’s first Premier League title-winning season in 30 years.
As a result, Rooney thought that he would make an excellent addition to Southgate’s leadership team. While Harry Kane, the current captain, is a calm and discreet figurehead, Henderson’s outspoken leadership approach may have resulted in greater outcomes on the pitch, since heads looked to have slumped following the first goal. Speaking with BBC Sport, he stated:
“You want to go ahead and press the ball; you need voices behind you. So Harry needs voices from behind to tell them to keep it one way, which is obviously what you’ve working on.
“And I mentioned before the tournament that I would have chosen Jordan because you don’t have the experience in the middle of the pitch. But he is also a voice. Harry isn’t the most talkative, and he doesn’t say as much as he should.”
Former England striker Lineker was caught off guard, raising his eyebrows and saying,’really?’ as Rooney explained why Henderson should have been chosen.
Henderson did not even make Southgate’s tentative 33-man team following a disastrous 2023/24 season. Just six months after leaving Liverpool to join Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq, he tore up his contract to join Ajax, before facing criticism for being selected for England games during the November 2023 international break despite his lack of club form.
England at Euro 2024
There is no need to press the panic button yet.
England enters their last group match against Slovenia on Tuesday night knowing that a win will secure first place, while a draw will keep them there if Denmark fails to beat Serbia. Even yet, defeat is likely to be enough for England to qualify, whether in second or third place.
As a result, pressing the panic button is unnecessary for the time being. Although the belief is that England will struggle when they face one of the tournament’s favourites, Southgate still has time to improve his team’s performance, with all eyes on their last Group C match on Tuesday night.
