Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC
Jordan Henderson is the latest player to be announced as a new Chelsea player, but there have been critics of Henderson’s age. John Obi Mikel is the latest to raise concern, but he has it all wrong.
Henderson, 36, has penned a two-year deal at Chelsea. It comes after the Blues failed to reunite Xabi Alonso with Granit Xhaka earlier in the window. Alonso felt he needed leadership in central midfield.
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Chelsea convinced Henderson to terminate his Brentford contract a year into a two-year contract with Chelsea’s London rivals. Released, Chelsea and Henderson were free to orchestrate his arrival on a free.
But Henderson is 36; he is the fourth-oldest player Chelsea have signed in the club’s history. Naturally, there are doubts regarding the England midfielder, and Mikel is the latest to voice this on his podcast.
John Obi Mikel questions Henderson, but he’s got it all wrong
The reason for Henderson’s arrival is because of the youth within Chelsea’s squad. Alonso’s hope is that signing Henderson and Danny Welbeck will improve standards on and off the pitch during his reign.
Chelsea Unveil New Signing Jordan Henderson
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC
Chelsea desperately needed it. Liam Rosenior’s final game, a 3-0 loss at Brighton, was one of the most dismal Chelsea performances in recent history. The Blues down-tooled and were rightfully beaten.
Speaking on his podcast, however, Mikel said: “I don’t know about Danny [Welbeck], but what I’ve heard about Jordan Henderson, I think he’s that guy. It doesn’t matter whether he plays; he sets the standard.
“He’s vocal in the dressing room. He sets the standard in training. Is he gonna be happy playing that role for the whole season or for two seasons? I don’t know because sometimes as players, we want to play.
Norway v England: Quarter Final - FIFA World Cup 2026
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“When you’re not playing, your motivation goes down because you think, I want to play here, even if it’s 20 minutes. I want to get on the pitch. So my question is: Are they going to be happy playing that role?”
Thomas Tuchel has just proved that Henderson is ideal for Chelsea
Mikel has it right when he says Henderson is the kind of player to set a standard in the dressing room, the kind of player that gets the best out of his teammates. But is Henderson one to drop his motivation?
Asmir Begovic's Chelsea XI for Fulham away
Asmir Begovic's Chelsea XI for Fulham away
We’re talking about a player who is recovering from a broken arm while celebrating England’s win over Mexico, in which he failed to appear. Clearly, this is a player who celebrates his team, not as an individual.
Thomas Tuchel knew this, and that’s why he was picked in the World Cup squad. Henderson only played six minutes at the entire tournament, but Morgan Rogers said he’s one of the best he’s met in the game.
Tuchel gets it and picked him for that reason. Now, Alonso has signed him for the same reason. He might not play much; he probably won’t start, but Alonso signed Henderson to improve the rest of his squad.