Thomas Tuchel’s final England World Cup group produced one of the most debated choices of the summer: Jordan Henderson’s inclusion. The surprise was not that England needed midfield depth, but that a 35-year-old with limited recent club minutes edged out several younger, more eye-catching options. Yet the decision becomes easier to understand when you look at what Tuchel values beyond flair and form.
The selection that split opinion
England’s midfield picture was crowded long before the squad was announced. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham looked locked in, Elliot Anderson had forced his way into the conversation with relentless energy, and names such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Adam Wharton, and Morgan Gibbs-White all offered different kinds of quality. Henderson, by comparison, did not arrive with a wave of highlights or obvious momentum.
He has spent large stretches of the season on the margins for Brentford, and that alone makes his call-up feel unconventional. But international squads are not always built on club rhythm alone. Sometimes a manager chooses steadiness, familiarity, and trust over the kind of selection that looks best on paper.
What Tuchel is really getting
Henderson’s case rests on a set of qualities that are harder to measure than goals or assists. He brings leadership, reliability, and a sense of order that can matter enormously in a tournament setting. When a squad includes several players still learning how to handle the pressure of major competition, one veteran who has lived through it all can stabilize the group.
There is also the experience factor. Henderson turns 36 on England’s opening day against Croatia, and that milestone carries a symbolic weight of its own. He is closing in on another major tournament appearance in a career already defined by longevity at the highest level. For Tuchel, that kind of perspective may be as valuable as any individual burst of skill.
- He understands tournament pressure.
- He sets standards in training and in the dressing room.
- He gives younger midfielders a dependable senior reference point.
- He adds continuity to a group built around changing roles and responsibilities.
How he fits on the field
Henderson is not likely to be picked for dramatic moments. His value comes from the small, repeatable actions that help a team function. At Brentford, he often drops deep to help the build-up, supports the defense when possession is lost, and moves intelligently to create passing lanes for teammates.
That style shows up clearly in the way he positions himself. He checks toward the ball, gives the center backs a safe outlet, and then shifts into support runs that open space elsewhere. He is also comfortable making the kind of unglamorous movement that pulls defenders out of shape and gives other midfielders more room to operate.
Against Manchester United, for example, he drifted into a pocket to receive from Sepp van den Berg, then moved play forward with a pass that allowed Yehor Yarmolyuk and Mikkel Damsgaard to advance. The move was not flashy, but it was practical and intelligent, which is exactly what Tuchel seems to want.
He showed similar awareness against Newcastle, where he helped Yarmolyuk escape pressure and quickly played around the corner to remove two defenders from the sequence. These are the kinds of plays that rarely dominate a highlight reel, yet they can quietly shape a match.
Why his profile is different from the rest
England’s midfield options do overlap in some areas, but Henderson still offers something distinct. Data-driven role models classify him as a deep-lying progressor, a player who helps move the ball through the middle and from the right side of midfield. That is not the same as being a pure creator or a pure ball-winner.
That distinction matters because England do not have many players who do exactly what he does. Rice can cover ground and control large spaces. Anderson can raise the tempo. Bellingham can do nearly everything. But Henderson provides a more measured, channel-focused passing game that gives the squad another way to build attacks.
Still, his inclusion is less about replacing anyone than about rounding out the group. If a match becomes tense and structure matters more than invention, a composed, experienced midfielder can be a useful lever. Tuchel appears to believe Henderson can fill that role without demanding the spotlight.
The bottom line
The selection is divisive because it favors trust over excitement. Henderson is not the most explosive choice, and he is certainly not the most fashionable one. But he may be one of the most useful when the tournament gets tight, the margins shrink, and England need someone who understands how to keep the team calm, connected, and moving in the right direction.
