An unfamiliar nationality appeared in the English national team squad, where the vast majority of players were from the Premier League. It is the Saudi Professional League in Saudi Arabia, and the player who plays there is Jordan Henderson.
Henderson left Liverpool this summer and moved to Al IT Park, led by manager Steven Gerrard. Henderson, who decided to go to Saudi Arabia rather than play in the European big leagues outside of England, was called up to the national team as always during the September international match.
First, in the two-game series against Ukraine and Scotland in September, England coach Gareth Southgate showed his trust by appointing Henderson as a starter against Ukraine. Henderson, who played in the UEFA Euro qualifying match against Ukraine, took a break in the friendly match against Scotland.
What do the national team coaches think about the rush of Premier League stars to the Middle East? Southgate said he had no plans to visit Saudi Arabia to observe Henderson any time soon. However, he still believes that he should personally check the players playing overseas.
“I think I should see him someday. If I’m doing my job right, I should go to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabia to see him.”
On the other hand, former England international Gary Lineker pointed out that Henderson is already ‘half-retired’. It is argued that coach Southgate should not include Henderson in his future plans. Although he did not intend to criticize the player, he made comments to the effect that Henderson was robbing other players of opportunities.메이저사이트
Lineker appeared on a podcast after the victory over Ukraine and said, “I’m a big fan of Henderson. He’s an amazing player. I also went abroad at the end of my career to earn money and gain other experiences. At that time, I was in ‘semi-retirement’.” “I thought I shouldn’t play soccer for the national team. I made that decision and resigned from the national team,” he said, recalling his own experience in a similar situation to Henderson.
He said, “If a player is transferring to make a lot of money, I don’t think he should play for the national team unless there is an extreme situation or an absolute lack of talented midfielders.” He said, “I think the national team should select another player who plays in the same position as Henderson.” He continued to argue that it should be done.