Henderson: Tuchel chose me, never just to make me a cheerleader

Sports 8:47am, 8 October 2025 159

According to BBC reports, England/Brentford midfielder Henderson was interviewed and talked about his experience in the two years since leaving Liverpool.

When Henderson left Liverpool in 2023 and switched to the Saudi team Dammam Cooperation, he was widely criticized - Saudi Arabia prohibits homosexuality, and Henderson has been a well-known supporter of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Henderson was not selected for the England squad for the 2024 European Cup. Now he has returned to the Premier League and plays for Brentford Club. Henderson was recently selected by Tuchel for the latest England squad.

Henderson said: "I think playing in Saudi Arabia is not the reason why I missed the 2024 European Cup. During my time in Saudi Arabia, I was selected for every England team training session before the European Cup. Looking back, maybe I could have made a different choice, but at the time, I made that decision (to play in Saudi Arabia) for many different reasons. I don't want to hide it. In the past few years, I have experienced some difficult moments. When I left Liverpool, it felt like going through a 'breakup'. When Of course, I am not a perfect person and I have made mistakes in the past. I will inevitably make mistakes in the future throughout my career. But what I've always tried to do is do the right thing. "

Since making his England debut against France in 2010, Henderson has played 85 times for the England team. When talking about being called up by the England team this time, Henderson said: "(It doesn't matter what I think). The most important people are the opinions of the head coach, coaching team and teammates. Ask them what they think. - To see if I'm just a 'cheerleader' on the team. I don’t think one of the best managers in Europe chose me just to be a cheerleader. ”

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