England manager Gareth Southgate has praised Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in a recent documentary about the Liverpool captain, saying he has ‘whispering talents’.
The 69-capped midfielder has lifted seven trophies while on Merseyside and has travelled with England to every major tournament since Euro 2012.
He has, however, slipped down the national team’s pecking order with the ex-Middlesbrough boss preferring Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse and Jude Bellingham in the typical double-pivot he operates within.
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Speaking on ‘Jordan Henderson is Never Done’, which can be viewed on Liverpool’s YouTube channel, Southgate hailed Henderson’s abilities as both a leader and a technical footballer.
“I remember a tucked in midfielder at Sunderland on the right-hand side and his ability to whip really wicked crosses into the box but the conversation that sticks in my mind is with Stuart Pearce [former England Under 21 coach].
“I remember going to watch the [England] Under 21s play and Stuart talking about how he thought this boy was going to be a really top player, how his mentality was going to be able to take him beyond so many others in the group.
“I was struck by that because, at that time, I was still learning about talent, youth development, what are the aspects that really make a difference on that journey."
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“We can all spot the obvious talent but what about what they call whispering talents and so that conversation stuck with me forever really because you’re then looking and thinking ‘I’m going to track this kid and see how it all develops and how his career emerges really'”.
Henderson was left out of Southgate’s most recent squad due to the long season he endured with the Reds, in which he finished runner-up in both Premier League and Champions League, and won both domestic cups.
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All going well injury wise, he will be a staple part of the England side that travels to Qatar in November, which could well be his last major tournament.
Topics: Liverpool, Jordan Henderson, Gareth Southgate
Chris Stonadge