Ferdinand explains why divisive ex-Liverpool man ‘should go’ to Euro 2024 in Kane dig

Rio Ferdinand thinks Jordan Henderson should go to Euro 2024

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand thinks former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson “should go” to Euro 2024 with England despite what his doubters think.

The 33-year-old left Liverpool in controversial circumstances in the summer with Henderson accepting a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq to reunite with former team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Having previously been a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, Henderson was widely condemned for moving to Saudi Arabia, where same-sex relationships are illegal.

Despite the Saudi Pro League’s investment in a number of high-quality players over the summer, there was still a question mark over the standard of the football in the league.

But Henderson returned to Europe early with the ex-Liverpool man hinting at regrets over his move to Saudi Arabia in his first press conference as a new Ajax player.

And there are many England fans who don’t think he deserves a place in the squad for Euro 2024 because of his disappointing six months in the Middle East and his decision to join a club outside the top five leagues in the world.

But Ferdinand disagrees, he said on his FIVE podcast: “I think Henderson should go I’ve got to be honest because I think he brings more than just as a player.

“His presence, when you’re in a dressing room you need certain heads there who have experience, who know how to win, who know how to generate an environment that is conducive to winning.

“He knows how to do that, he’s been a captain of a team that has won multiple trophies, there ain’t too many in that dressing room who know how to do that. As good as Harry Kane is, he doesn’t know how to speak about winning a trophy in that dressing room.

“So we can say, ‘I don’t think he’s good enough’, but there’s more than just football when it comes to winning things or winning tournaments. There’s a mindset.

“And in that changing room they all respect him. Don’t matter who they play for, how much money they on, what they’ve won… Jordan Henderson will walk in that changing room with England and they’ll all go, ‘yeah I respect this guy’. cuz he’s done it.”

Some England fans reckons Henderson should be left at home in favour of going with younger talents like Kobbie Mainoo at Man Utd or Curtis Jones at Liverpool.

Ferdinand added: “Every tournament there’s always going to be a few, ‘should he go, should he not? Whose on the flight, who ain’t?’. Curtis Jones will be one of them, Kobbie Mainoo if he continues performing like he does. [James] Ward-Prowse.

“From experience, I went to a tournament because of my potential. I didn’t go to the tournament to play, I went for experience and what it would do for me in the tournaments that are coming because they saw that I would be a player.

“Michael Owen was the same. The Brazilian Ronaldo went to a tournament but didn’t play. It’s whether Gareth Southgate and his staff look at Kobbie Mainoo and go ‘he’s our future’. If he ain’t thinking future Kobbie Mainoo ain’t going.

“But in a tournament and in a team that wants to win, it’s not just about what you can do football wise, talent wise, there’s more to it. There needs to be that experience, the ability to talk, grab, push, shove, punch.

“Respect immediately before you kick a ball. Not everyone but there has to be one or two of those in that squad and Jordan Henderson is that guy for me.”