Thomas Tuchel explains reasoning behind deciding on ‘serial winner’ Jordan Henderson
Thomas Tuchel has explained the reason behind selecting Jordan Henderson in his first Three Lions squad following backlash regarding the 34-year-old’s call-up
Thomas Tuchel has explained his reasoning behind recalling Jordan Henderson to the England squad.
The German named his first Three Lions squad on Friday ahead of the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifying games against Albania and Latvia at Wembley later this month. A number of Tuchel’s 26-man squad selections have sparked angry responses from fans.
None more so than the decision to recall Henderson to the England squad ahead of the likes of Adam Wharton and Morgan Gibbs-White, 15 months on from his last Three Lions cap and three months before the Ajax midfielder turns 35.
Discussing Henderson’s inclusion in his press conference, Tuchel explained: “With Jordan, it’s a pretty easy decision. He is a serial winner, captain of Ajax, he is available and has played a lot of matches. What he brings to every team is leadership, character, personality, energy.
“He makes sure everyone lives by the standards. He embodies everything we try to build, building a team for our fans, one they can be proud of and identify with. He brings everything.”
Tuchel was then asked about what Henderson said to his inclusion during their phone call, Tuchel joked: “Hi, I’m Jordan.”
He continued: “We had this phone call a few weeks ago where I wanted to check in, introduce myself and see how he feels about this idea and if he was ready. It was a video call because at least you can see reactions.
“He appreciated it. I didn’t call him with an unknown number, I texted him before. For me, it was so nice to see his genuine reaction.
“He is a serial winner with over 80 caps and just the pure joy and how humble he was to take this decision. It was very impressive.”
Tuchel also left fans perplexed as he also included Newcastle defender Dan Burn, who turns 33 before the end of the season, in the squad. By the time the 2026 World Cup comes around, Henderson will be 36 and Burn 34, but Tuchel insisted they could make the finals squad.
“I truly believe these two things have to be combined,” he added. “I truly believe Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson have every chance to be with us in the World Cup. Football in general but maybe even more international football is about team spirit.
“It is about building a team that loves to play with each other, that transports the spirit to the fans, the nation and the country. It is about building a brotherhood. We cannot only do this with young players or senior players, it has to be a good balance.
“I was surprised Dan (Burn) was never called up. He is such a tall guy but obviously it is easy to overlook him.
“It almost happened to me. I can tell you from these two phone calls from Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn, you instantly know that you picked the right guys.”
England host Albania on March 21 before facing Latvia three days later, with both games at Wembley.
