Why Jordan Pickford has backed Jordan Henderson’s return to the Three Lions squad

Jordan Pickford says Jordan Henderson is a “winner and a big leader” and is delighted to see him back in the England squad.

Henderson made his Three Lions debut in 2010 but has not played for his country since November 2023, not long after making a controversial move from Liverpool to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.

His stint in the Middle East was short-lived and he joined Ajax in January 2024 and has impressed with the Amsterdammers.

He was still a surprise selection when Thomas Tuchel named his first England squad last week but Pickford, who like Henderson came through the ranks at Sunderland, thinks it’s a sensible move.

Henderson return is great for the squad – Pickford

The Everton goalkeeper said: “His desire to want to win and what he has won and achieved is driven by himself.

“He’s a winner and a big leader. I think bringing Hendo back in is great for the squad.

“He was vice-captain for numerous years. He didn’t come to the last Euros but he was vice-captain in 2018 to Harry (Kane).

“I think someone like Hendo, it’s great. Having leaders in your group, the teams that have won have always had that experience in the side as well.

“I think it’s a great move for us to have someone like him in the squad. What he has done, how he is still driven – whether he plays or not he is going to be the leader on the training pitch.”

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Experience will help England – Pickford

Henderson was joined in the squad by Newcastle defender Dan Burn and Pickford thinks having some older heads around can only benefit the side as they prepare to open their World Cup qualifying campaign with home games against Albania and Latvia.

“We’ve been knocking on the door for a while now. We’ve been to two finals, a semi-final and a quarter final,” he added.

“It’s about that next step now. We know what it takes to get there. It’s about what it takes to lift the trophy, and that is what the manager has come in to do.

“We have got Dan Burn’s first call-up which is a great achievement for him. We have got Hendo with how many caps he has got. He has got that winning mentality, what he has won at Liverpool as a player and a captain.

“To have those leaders around the place, the more leaders you have in the team I think the more success they will bring.

“They will drive training standards, they will drive standards around the place and make it a better camp for everybody.”