England boss Gareth Southgate has reportedly left Liverpool legend Jordan Henderson out of his provisional squad for the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024).
Southgate’s extended EURO list will contain around 30 players. However, the Three Lions can only take a maximum of 26 players to Germany, meaning a few from the provisional list will stay back while their country meet up with the other 23 qualified nations.
The England coach will officially announce his EURO 2024 provisional squad at 2 PM BST / 9 AM ET on Tuesday (May 21).
Gareth Southgate Dismisses Jordan Henderson From England’s Provisional EURO 2024 Squad
According to a report by The Athletic columnist David Ornstein, Gareth Southgate will deliver a shocker when he announces England’s provisional squad for EURO 2024. Ex-Liverpool man Jordan Henderson, who has long served as Southgate’s No. 1 man in midfield, will reportedly not make the preliminary list for the month-long extravaganza that will commence in Germany on June 14.
Henderson’s dismissal could be down to his career choices, starting with the shock move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq last summer. The move may have hurt his chances, even though he left Saudi Arabia only a few months later.
Henderson took a massive pay cut to join Ajax in the winter transfer window. However, that move did not work out the way many expected. Ajax failed to compete with PSV Eindhoven in the 2023-24 Eredivisie campaign, and Henderson’s performances were not anything to write home about.
Finally, the 33-year-old’s age also would not have done him any favors. England have younger and more in-form players lining up to make a mark, and Southgate could opt for a more aggressive squad to try and end their 58-year wait for a major international honor.
Luke Shaw & Curtis Jones To Feature In Preliminary List
While Jordan Henderson is set to miss out, his former Liverpool teammate Curtis Jones could earn his first national-team call-up on Tuesday. Jones enjoyed a fine campaign with Liverpool in 2023-24, scoring five times and providing three assists in 36 games.
As per The Telegraph, Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw will be on said list, thanks to a fine Premier League campaign. Sky Sports, meanwhile, believes Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Liverpool’s uncapped Jarell Quansah will feature. Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, who had a blistering Premier League season, will make the cut as well.
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