𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Cole Palmer. Phil Foden. Adam Wharton. Morgan Gibbs-White. Just some of the midfielders who did not make England’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup.

It says a lot about Thomas Tuchel’s priorities that, despite an abundance of options, a 35-year-old Jordan Henderson still found his way in.

Clearly, for Tuchel, Henderson brings some of the intangibles to the table — leadership, experience and professionalism — that help to set standards and build the right kind of dressing-room culture; one that keeps younger heads focussed and motivated as the stakes begin to rise.

Maybe his place could have gone to a more penetrative passer, an elusive creator, an all-round midfielder with a sixth-sense for crashing the box.

But from a psychological perspective, Henderson’s presence as someone who has been here many times before, is clearly of great value to Tuchel and his coaching team.