Gareth Southgate set to have really important conversation with ‘outstanding’ Liverpool player

Add as preferred source on Google

England manager Gareth Southgate is likely to discuss Jordan Henderson’s potential exit from Liverpool with the player himself.

Shock news from last night puts Henderson on the verge of leaving the Reds after 12 years at the club. An eye-watering offer from Saudi Arabia looks set to rob Liverpool of their captain.

But the deal isn’t done just yet. And according to The Daily Mail, Henderson will weigh up the effect leaving Anfield for a footballing backwater could have on his international career.

The 33-year-old is said to ‘greatly respect’ England boss Southgate. As a result, it’s claimed it be ‘unfeasible’ that the two men wouldn’t discuss the implications of Henderson leaving for the Middle East.

What exactly it could mean for the Liverpool captain’s international career is reportedly ‘unclear.’ However, the suggestion is that whatever Southgate says is likely to have a big influence on Henderson’s decision.

Henderson set for Southgate talks

One of the key reasons this Henderson situation is so bizarre is because of what leaving could do to his England chances.

Already 33, the former Sunderland man had started to be edged out prior to last year’s World Cup. But during the tournament in Qatar, Henderson reasserted his importance to Southgate.

Since then, the Reds skipper has continued to be a big part of the Three Lions squad. Just as it is at Liverpool, his guiding hand over youngsters like Jude Bellingham is seen as being crucial.

The veteran has already suggested that he intends to stick around as far into the future as the 2026 World Cup. And in fairness to him, if he stays at the top, then why not? As Jurgen Klopp once said via The Daily Mail, Henderson is and has been an ‘outstanding’ player.

But heading off for a pay-day in the Middle East would change all of that. A man of publicly scrupulous morals, it’s hard to see Southgate putting up with the circus going on in Saudi Arabia. He also has plenty of other options to choose from who are all playing at a much higher level.

Curtis Jones, for example, is just one of the players who look ready to make a push for the Euro 2024 squad next summer.

Knowing the stock Henderson puts in playing for England, it’s not out of the question that Southgate can convince him not to go. But at this point, it looks like Jordan’s mind is made up.