England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will captain the national side against Slovenia.
Henderson, who impressed against Malta on Saturday night, will replace Wayne Rooney who has been dropped to the substitutes bench.
The Liverpool skipper, 26, has flourished under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield and the has now seen his fine form rewarded with England captaincy.
‘[I’ve been] very impressed by him (Henderson). What stood out for me is that he had to captain a football club and take over one of the most iconic figures in English football [in Steven Gerard],’ Southgate said,
‘He has got a voice, opinion and what he thinks we need to work on and good tactical mind. It was not an easy decision as there are other senior players in the squad but because he is the captain of a big football club it was the right decision for me.’
Henderson will lead out the team in England’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia on Tuesday night but Southgate was keen to stress that Rooney, while in the squad, while remain the long-term captain.
‘Not only did he accept the news with great professionalism, but he was keen to speak today,’ Southgate said on Rooney’s omission.
‘On reflection I think it’s a great opportunity for him to talk about his pride for playing for his country.
‘He’s still captain of this team while I’m in charge. Everything I’ve seen this week has only improved the feeling of how impressive he’s been as leader of this group,’ Southgate added.
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