Ex-Liverpool captain miserably stuck in the Netherlands as former teammates take on Dutch

It’s Liverpool vs Liverpool for a place in the Euro 2024 final this evening – although one former Red will no doubt be looking on enviously.

England takes on the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the tournament in Dortmund tonight. The game will pit Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez directly against their club mates Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Whoever wins, Liverpool will be guaranteed some representation in the final against Spain on Sunday. Van Dijk and Gakpo will almost certainly start for Ronald Koeman’s side, while Alexander-Arnold may make an appearance, having dropped out of Gareth Southgate’s starting XI following the opening couple of games.

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While Alexander-Arnold might be feeling aggrieved at losing his place in the Three Lions’ side, he’ll probably be feeling a lot better than his former captain at Anfield.

Jordan Henderson will have to make do with watching on from afar, and will ironically do so from the Netherlands after being overlooked by Southgate for the tournament.

Having left Liverpool last summer, Henderson has endured a nightmare 12 months, with his move to Saudi Arabia lasting just half a year before he decided to make a return to Europe. He signed for Ajax back in January, but couldn’t inspire them to a late push for the Champions League as they finished fifth in the Eredivisie, a massive 35 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven.

And, despite being a favorite of Southgate’s for years, Henderson’s form led the England manager to drop him for the Euros, with his decision to leave Anfield backfiring spectacularly.

Instead of preparing for the clash in Dortmund this evening, Henderson has instead been training with Ajax at their Wageningse Berg camp ahead of the start of the new Dutch season on July 25. The 34-year-old would almost certainly prefer to be lining up alongside his former England teammates tonight though.

Liverpool.com says: Let’s be honest, Henderson only has himself to blame. The move to Saudi Arabia was ill-judged in more than one sense, and he left Southgate with very little choice but to drop him for England, even after the move to Ajax.

Had he stayed at Liverpool, there’s every chance he would have been in Dortmund this evening. He might have found his chances a little harder to come by at Anfield, but he would have certainly got them, and he might have even found a regular spot in the No.6 role. Now 34, you’d have to imagine his international career is now over, bar a miraculous turnaround at Ajax.