Lee Dixon shared on ITV Sport on Sunday that he noticed Liverpool midfielder, Jordan Henderson, ‘pacing himself’ in the warm-up before England’s 1-0 win against Romania.
There has been a lot of talk about Henderson’s fitness, or lack of it, going into Euro 2020, with Roy Keane making it clear the Liverpool man shouldn’t have been selected.
Well, Liverpool’s midfield marshal completed his first 45 minutes in a number of months yesterday, but is it enough ahead of England’s Euro 2020 opener against Croatia on Sunday?
Former Arsenal defender Dixon made it clear that it’s a ‘tough’ task for the Liverpool man and what he noticed about him before the game started.
“I was watching him in the warm-up before the game actually started,” said Dixon.
“He was doing a little circle and keep the ball. And he was in the middle trying to win the ball back. He looked like he was pacing himself in that session.
“Now, all of a sudden, you are thrown into the game then you don’t have that luxury. Players won’t stop running past you – it’s a tough ask for him.”
James Ward-Prowse started England’s 1-0 win against Romania and produced an outstanding performance in the middle of the park.
The expert set-piece taker was unlucky not to make the final 26-man cut, with some questioning why an unfit Henderson was selected ahead of him.
If Henderson is in a situation where he is unable to start a game for his country at Euro 2020 then this selection might just come back to bite Southgate.
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