Steven Gerrard has admitted his delight in seeing Jordan Henderson 'shut a few critics up' with his performances for England.
Henderson failed to start either of England's first two group stage games against Iran and the USA, but was called upon to add experience and aggression against Wales after Gareth Southgate saw his midfield overrun by a dynamic American outfit. The Liverpool captain duly stepped in and produced an excellent display alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, earning him a second start in the round-of-16 clash against Senegal, where he scored the opening goal with a deft finish.
Despite the 32-year-old's outstanding performances, there remain some quarters of the England fanbase eager to see him dropped. But that clamour has since gone quiet, with the Liverpool man in-line to start in the quarter-finals against France on Saturday.
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Gerrard, a former team-mate of Henderson's at Anfield, knows all too well the hard work and dedication put in behind the scenes to maintain this level of form and fitness well into your 30's. And the Reds legend was quick to hit back at those critics who so often point fingers and Henderson.
“Obviously being an England fan I’m following England and Jordan from a personal point of view. I think he’s been immaculate, both on and off the pitch,” Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.com. “His last performance he was obviously man of the match, very well deserved, and he shut a few critics up that for some reason seem to point fingers at Jordan.
“Being a midfielder, being around Jordan on the daily basis, to see the sacrifices, his dedication and what he puts into his own preparation, the hard work that he puts in, I’m not surprised that he’s putting in this level of performance and I’m delighted for him.
“But it seems as if a lot of people outside the LFC family don’t need an invite to point a finger towards him so I’m delighted that he has shut a few up.”
While England got off to a flying start with their 6-2 win against Iran, a goalless draw in which their midfield was overrun by the USA will have been cause for concern among the England coaching staff. Southgate's introduction of Henderson off the bench in that game, followed by the decision to start him against Wales, was a clear indication of the value placed on the Liverpool skipper.
And Gerrard believes that Henderson's experience and maturity, especially alongside the youthful energy of Rice and Bellingham, has been vital in turning the tide and helping England progress into the quarter-finals for a third major tournament in a row.
“I think England have got a lot of young, exciting talent, but you need experienced players that positionally give these younger players licence to go and cause a lot of damage," the former Red added. “I think Jordan, what he’s found in that performance is a typical Jordan Henderson performance where he is solid, his A to Bs are all really good, positionally he is bang on, but at the right time he joins in and gets himself forward.
“He’s a really strong runner and his timing for the goal and his execution of the goal was world-class and it was the perfect all-round performance, so credit to him.”
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