Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has admitted he’s wary of heaping too much praise on the shoulders of Jude Bellingham as the rising star gets set to play a leading role for England at the World Cup in Qatar. Bellingham was man of the match in England’s 3-3 draw with Germany on Monday night in the Nations League as he showed manager Gareth Southgate exactly what he can bring to the side with the World Cup on the horizon.
Jordan Henderson said: “I like Jude, I think he’s an amazing player. He’s a fantastic professional and his mentality is really key for his development. I almost don’t want to big him up too much because he’s still a young lad! There will be a lot of pressure on him at a young age, but of course he’s a top, top player, and I’m sure he’ll have a big part to play in Qatar.”
Henderson’s late cameo on Monday night, when he replaced Bellingham in injury-time, was his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s dramatic 2-1 home win over Newcastle United at the end of August. He will be hoping to keep fit between now and November 20, when the World Cup kicks off, as the 32-year-old is certain to be part of Southgate’s squad.
Jordan Henderson said: “I’ll approach it as I always do, obviously it doesn’t get any bigger than the World Cup. We’ve gone close in the Euros last year and obviously the previous World Cup, so we’ve had a taste of what it feels like to go far, but obviously there was the disappointment and the hurt of not quite getting over the line, so I hope we can use that going into this tournament.”
