Thomas Tuchel has doubled down on his decision to include Jordan Henderson in his England squad for their recent matches against Andorra and Senegal.
The Three Lions boss endured his first struggles since taking charge after an uninspiring 1-0 win over Andorra before suffering a 3-1 defeat by Senegal.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was one of the surprise inclusions in Tuchel’s squad for the fixtures – along with fellow veteran Kyle Walker.
However, the Ajax midfielder was not only included in the squad but, against Andorra, was handed his first international start since November 2023.
While many questioned the decision to start Henderson, over the likes of Declan Rice, Tuchel has now doubled down on the decision to include the 34-year-old.
Speaking to talkSPORT on Wedneday, Tuchel said: ‘He’s still lean, fit and ready to push on, on an international level. I’m convinced he’s still ambitious.
Thomas Tuchel doubled down on his decision to include Jordan Henderson in England’s squad
The Three Lions boss insisted that he’s still ‘convinced’ in the ambitions of the Ajax midfielder
‘He pushes the group, he takes care of training, the attitude. He brings players together.
‘So, we see better versions of players when Jordan is in camp. That’s all I can say’.
The England boss continued by delving into the mentality of his current crop of England stars and insisted they are ‘lacking enthusiasm and joy’.
Tuchel was asked whether individual talents may have to be sacrificed in order to get the best out of the team, to which he replied: ‘Yes, 100 per cent.
‘Gareth [Southgate] tried it and Lee [Carsley] tried it… to bring the talent together. And, [even though] I’m trying now, still we feel like we’re lacking the enthusiasm and joy consistently on international level.
‘So, I have to underline that the individual has to take a step back for the greater good. It’s on us to find the right mixture, the right team, the right chemistry.
‘First camp was good, second camp was a bit of a mixture. Not a disaster, but a mixture.
‘In November, the squad selection will be more competitive but more straightforward for the World Cup qualifiers.’
Finally, on World Cup preparation, Tuchel said: ‘As a club manager you look two weeks ahead, every three days, that’s the rhythm and you push everyone to have the longest season possible. You don’t look ahead to get distracted.
‘Next week we will go to America to look at clubs, training facilities, observe what it’s like for European teams to play at 15:00 [BST] in Miami.
‘Drinks, cooling systems, all these things.
‘As a club coach I don’t feel comfortable doing all this while we are still in the qualification process, but we have to do it.’
