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Jordan Henderson hit an impressive international career milestone on Monday when he earned his 50th cap while helping to guide the England team to an easy 5-1 win against Montenegro in Euro qualifying. The Liverpool captain has been a fixture in the England midfield for years, and Monday’s landmark was a well-deserved one for the hardworking player.
Henderson came on in the 64th minute, replacing Dele Alli, when the Three Lions had things very much in hand. He was still able to provide the assist in the 90th minute to his former Reds teammate Raheem Sterling to notch their final goal of the game.
After the game, Henderson reminisced about his England career and his first cap in 2010, saying, “I can remember there were a lot of experienced and top players in the team and the squad.
“I was delighted to make my debut but I came off thinking I’ve got a long way to go if I want to stay at this level.
“It gave me a taste for it, to want to improve and get better, to make sure I could go back and perform regularly for England. If I play, it will be nice to get to 50 caps but it is not something I will think about now. Maybe I will do it at the end of my career.”
And what’s the key to his success?
“Football always changes. There are always new players coming in at your club, or young players coming through with your club or England,” he continued.
“You have to be ready, give 100 per cent, improve and get better.
“At Liverpool and England, it’s about moving forward and going in the right direction and you don’t want to be left behind, by any means. I want to improve every season, every training session. I’ll continue that until I finish my career.
“My role has changed within the Liverpool team. I’ve adapted and improved. I can do that [holding] role, but prior to that I was a more offensive, box to box. I can do both roles.”
At 28-years-old, Henderson still has some good years left playing for the national team, and he’s expected to play a big role in Euro 2020 qualifying.