Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson has been recalled to the England side because he “embodies everything we try to build”, says new manager Thomas Tuchel.
The German named Henderson in his first England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on Friday, 21 and Monday, 24 March respectively (both 19:45 GMT kick-offs).
Henderson, 34, has won 81 caps but last featured for the Three Lions in November 2023.
“Jordan is a serial winner,” Tuchel said.
“He’s captain of Ajax. What he brings to every team is leadership, character, energy and personality.
“He makes sure everyone lives by the standards. He embodies everything we try to build. We want to build a team our fans are proud of.”
Tuchel, speaking at a news conference after announcing his 26-man squad, was asked about Henderson’s reaction when he rang the former Liverpool player and said “Hi, it’s Thomas Tuchel”.
“Hi, I’m Jordan,” was how Tuchel remembered Henderson’s response.
The England coach added: “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.”
Henderson joined Ajax from Al-Ettifaq in January 2024 less than six months after signing for the Saudi Pro League club.
He struggled with injuries during his first campaign, making 12 appearances across all competitions, however, the former Liverpool midfielder has turned out on 38 occasions for the Dutch club in 2024-25.
Ajax finished fifth and 35 points behind champions PSV in the Eredivisie last season but are eight points clear at the top after 25 games of the current season.
“This season, the trainer, Francesco Farioli, has mentioned on several occasions how important Henderson has been this year,” Dutch football journalist Arthur Renard told BBC Sport.
“He said Henderson is an ‘exceptional player of great quality and leadership’. And he is the kind of extension of the coach with his tactical insights, his reading of the game and his running ability.
“A lot of his team-mates have also explained how important he is to the team.”
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