England star Kalvin Phillips has admitted he isn’t surprised to see Jordan Henderson back involved with the national side given the midfielder’s importance.
The Liverpool captain had been out of action for a considerable proportion of the domestic season following an injury suffered in the Merseyside derby in February but mounted a remarkable recovery in time for the European Championship.
“Jordan has been training with us for the last two or three weeks so it’s not new to see him coming back in,” the Englishman was quoted as saying by Leeds Live (via TEAMtalk).
“I expected Jordan to come back into the team because he is such a good and vital player for England.
“Whoever gets the nod, and whoever doesn’t, we’ll be there to support each other and that’s the main thing.”
The 31-year-old featured in The Three Lions’ 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic earlier in the week, as Gareth Southgate’s men secured pole position in Group D to set up a meeting with Joachim Low’s Germany in the Last 16.
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Though we’d certainly argue for the ex-Sunderland star to be a starter for the national side, we’re glad to see the midfielder used sparingly considering how quickly he has returned to the pitch following his season-ending injury.
With Phillips having impressed so far in the tournament, we’d expect to see the Liverpool-linked star’s compatriot reduced to a bench role for the foreseeable future, which would certainly be a welcome sight for Jurgen Klopp ahead of pre-season.
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