Henderson not in England squad to play role of 'cheerleader'
England boss Thomas Tuchel has been questioned for selecting Jordan Henderson, but the Brentford midfielder feels he warrants his place.
Jordan Henderson insists he is not in the England squad to play the role of "cheerleader", after Thomas Tuchel was criticised for selecting the 35-year-old.
Henderson has won 85 caps for his country, playing four times under Tuchel since the former Chelsea boss took the reins in January.
His place in Tuchel's first squad was the subject of fierce debate, after he was left out of Gareth Southgate's party for Euro 2024 and remained out of the picture during Lee Carsley's spell as interim coach.
That came after the former Liverpool midfielder was criticised for moving to Al-Ettifaq in 2023, though his stint in Saudi Arabia only lasted six months before he joined Ajax.
Henderson is now back in the Premier League with Brentford and has started six of their seven matches this campaign, and he believes he warrants his international place.
"The most important people are the manager, the coaching staff and the players and what they think," Henderson told reporters ahead of Thursday's friendly against Wales.
"Ask them what they think, if I am a cheerleader when I am here. I don't think one of the best managers in Europe would be choosing me just to do that."
Henderson maintains that his move to Saudi Arabia was not the reason he was overlooked for Southgate's final tournament at the helm, saying: "I don't think it was the reason why I missed the Euros.
"When I was in Saudi, I think I was in every camp prior to the Euros. With everything in hindsight, yes, maybe I would have made different decisions.
"But at the time, that's how I felt and the decision I made was for many different reasons and only I know the reasons.
"I am not going to lie, over the past couple of years I have had some tough moments. It felt like a break-up when I left Liverpool.
"Of course, I'm not perfect and I've made mistakes in the past. Of course, I will have throughout my career, but all I've ever tried to do is the right thing."
After facing Wales at Wembley, the Three Lions visit Latvia for their fifth World Cup qualifier, where a win could be enough to secure their place at next year's tournament.
