England boss Thomas Tuchel has, no doubt, ruffled a few feathers following the announcement of his inaugural Three Lions squad – and he’s since explained his decision to hand Jordan Henderson a surprise recall ahead of a duo of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Fans up and down the country were eagerly awaiting Tuchel’s first squad since taking charge at the turn of the year. Newcastle United's Dan Burn and Myles Lewis-Skelly have received their first call-ups, while a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford is back in international proceedings.
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, Tuchel has been strong in his messaging that winning is the objective – but plenty of the discourse is surrounding Henderson returning to the fold amid a) his recent lack of game time and b) as such, leaving a plethora of options at home.
Tuchel Explains Henderson’s Return to England Fold
As alluded to, the central midfielder’s return has been somewhat lambasted given that he’s started just two of Ajax’s last nine games. The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton are, as a result, left at home. As expected, the English media have already had their say.
His squad selection was called 'very odd' by journalist Joe Crann, while Ryan Taylor of The Mirror said: “Find Jordan Henderson’s return to the England fold utterly bemusing. Hasn’t been a regular starter for Ajax of late & hasn’t completed a 90 minutes in the Eredivisie in almost six weeks.”
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On the decision to re-call Henderson – who is widely regarded as one of the best captains in Premier League history – to the squad, Krumbach-born Tuchel cited the way he ‘imposes himself’ for his current employers, Ajax.
We called Hendo back up because we think his career, the way he plays now and imposes himself at Ajax, it’s just so impressive. He builds it on character and personality and energy that he brings to the team.
Referencing Burn’s maiden call-up of his lengthy career, Tuchel continued: “For me, Jordan is a call-up for similar reasons to Dan Burn. they can carry these values on their shoulders, their teams, and it’s absolutely reliable what they bring in terms of their energy.
"This is where the focus is for us, to bring a strong team, a cohesive team. Jordan is a big piece in that puzzle for us." the 51-year-old tactician, commonly recognised as one of the greatest managers in world football, concluded.
Interestingly, Henderson’s last foray in the white of England came in November 2023, and he’ll be 36 years of age by the time the next World Cup, which is being held in North America, comes around. Formerly Liverpool's captain, he made the controversial move to Al-Ettifaq in 2023.
It didn't take long for the central midfielder, 34, to return to Europe as a means of putting himself back into contention for an England call-up. As of late, he has been nursing a hamstring injury but will be looking to bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to the Three Lions roster.