Henderson proved he would still be valuable member of England squad at Euro 2024

Jordan Henderson is confident he still has plenty to offer England at Euro 2024 and in his first game against Premier League opponents since leaving Liverpool he showed exactly why.

The former England skipper’s place in Gareth Southgate’s squad has become a topic of intense debate since his departure from Anfield – not forgetting his disastrous move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, where he spent only six months.

If Henderson is no longer working in a top-five European league, the argument goes, how can he possibly deserve his place over midfielders playing every week in the English top flight, regularly labelled the best competition in the world?

Yet with his performance for Ajax against Aston Villa on Thursday, Henderson proved he would still be a valuable member of England’s squad in Germany. He no longer has the physical power or athleticism to start against England’s main rivals but a close study of his display against Villa showed his enduring qualities.

For 90 minutes, Henderson did not shut up. Barking instructions at Kenneth Taylor to ensure he held his position when Villa had the ball. Praising Jorrel Hato after the hugely promising 18-year-old centre-back had advanced from defence to play a glorious through-ball to Brian Brobbey.

Urging Brobbey to keep at it after the forward had fluffed his chance to give Ajax a first-half lead. Taking the ball in difficult positions and keeping Ajax moving. Talking, talking, talking.

‘He is a real professional,’ said Ajax coach John van ‘t Schip. ‘He is a leader, as you can see on the pitch. The boys feel that and accept it as well, so he helps the team a lot in that way.

‘He had a difficult start because he came from Saudi Arabia and didn’t play for month and of course was not happy. He immediately rediscovered his pleasure in training and playing but he was a bit unlucky in the first games he played here.

‘We didn’t get the results he wanted but now you can see he is very important, not only on the pitch but off the pitch. He talks about things that can improve the whole environment and is also guiding the players.

‘If you saw his performance against Villa and how he played against PSV Eindhoven, which were two really big games, for sure (he can still do a job for England). Southgate knows very well what he can get from Jordan.’

Van ‘t Schip’s is worth listening to. At the World Cup in 1990, he was part of a Holland squad featuring Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman. Four world-class players in a single team should be a near-guarantee of success but Holland stank the place out and were eliminated without winning a game. Sometimes talent alone is not enough.

It took Henderson only six months and 17 games with Al-Ettifaq, where he was earning £700,000 a week, to understand that all the money in the world could not replace European football. He joined Ajax not only to put himself back in the frame for England, but to feel alive again.

A key point here is that most of England’s opponents are not at the level of the best Premier League sides. You would not back Serbia, Denmark or Slovenia – the teams in England’s group in Germany - to finish in the Champions League spots. Henderson should be able to cut it against those teams if called upon.

Then you remember the weight Southgate places on squad harmony. Conor Coady did not play a single minute at Euro 2020 three years ago but won widespread praise for his attitude and application as England made it to the final but were beaten on penalties by Italy. Henderson would offer that and more.

Every successful squad contains characters like Henderson. Even if he is not named in Southgate’s squad next week, he deserves his spot in Germany this summer.