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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Kieran King

Gareth Southgate explains Jordan Henderson decision and James Maddison's England snub

Gareth Southgate says Jordan Henderson has not been called up to the England squad because he does not need to know anymore about him.

The 31-year-old has made 56 appearances across all competitions so far this season and is set to start in the Champions League final this weekend. Liverpool face Real Madrid in Paris - two days before the England squad meet at St George's Park ahead of four games in June.

England take on Hungary twice, Germany and Italy across ten days in their Nations League group. Southgate has decided to take a 27-man squad for those matches but Henderson has not been included despite being in every Three Lions camp since October 2020.

When explaining his exclusion, Southgate said: "I don't need to know anymore about him and he's played a lot of football this season. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] likewise, he'll probably be with us for the first part of the games and then that's enough for him."

He added: "I was very conscious with the Champions League boys - they've had a remarkable season really and couldn't have been involved with any more games. We've learnt in the last three or four years from players we've had involved in that match that the emotional fall out, win or lose, is very high.

"I spoke with the two lads about where they were with that and where they felt like they were with that - they are in different positions in that with their age.

Jordan Henderson (Getty Images)

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"We've got good players in both positions so we've got cover and we felt that Henderson we didn't need to see this summer but we wanted to see Trent with the camp. We gave him the option of joining late but he preferred to keep going and then leave a bit earlier."

Another in-form midfielder to miss out on the England squad is James Maddison. The Leicester City man scored 18 goals and grabbed 12 assists across all competitions this term - the most out of any English Premier League midfielder. However, Southgate has opted not to choose him with Mason Mount and Phil Foden in instead.

He said: "He has finished the season very well. He is obviously scoring goals but we just feel we are very happy with the players that have been with us.

"He is competing with Mason Mount and Phil Foden and these types of players in the role where he is at his best. It's one of the positions where there is a lot of strength in depth and you may have to leave players out who may be equally as deserving."

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