Jordan Henderson snubbed as Liverpool midfielder to get surprise first England squad call-up

Curtis Jones is reportedly set to receive his first ever England call-up ahead of Euro 2024.

However, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson looks set to be a surprise omission from Gareth Southgate’s preliminary Three Lions squad for this summer’s European Championships - which will be announced at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Henderson has been left out of the expanded squad following a disappointing season with Al-Ettifaq and Ajax. With Southgate later reducing his squad to a maximum of 26 players prior to this summer’s tournament in Germany, to not even make the initial cut is a bitter blow for a player who has won 81 international caps, is the England vice-captain, and who the Three Lions boss has stuck by throughout the season, naming him in every squad and defending his selection, despite the controversy his initial Anfield exit caused.

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Henderson left Liverpool to join Al-Ettifaq in a £12m move last summer, having spoken to Southgate regarding what it could mean for his international career, with the switch earning him plenty of backlash in part due to his status as a high-profile LGBTQ+ ally. However, the former Sunderland man struggled in the Gulf State and tore up his lucrative contract in January after just 19 appearances to return to Europe with Ajax.

Maxing 12 appearances to date for the Eredivisie club, Henderson has seemingly not done enough to convince Southgate that he is worthy of a place in his squad for Euro 2024, with the snub no doubt posing questions about the 33-year-old’s future international career. He had been included in the most recent squad for the March international break, but was left unused for friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

While Henderson is set to be overlooked, current Liverpool midfielder Jones is poised to earn a maiden call-up at his former team-mate’s expense.

One of the star players in the England Under-21s side that won last year’s Under-21 European Championship, Jones had been poised for a first call-up during the March international break, before injuring his ankle against Brentford.

“He was definitely somebody we were tracking very closely ahead of his injury,” England manager Southgate said in March. “We were without doubt very excited by his performances.”

Returning to action in April, Jones would make eight appearances for Liverpool during the final two months of the campaign. But he only started twice in the Premier League following his return to fitness, and was left unused on three occasions by Jurgen Klopp.

However, that hasn’t put off Southgate with Jones’ impressive performances for the Reds prior to injury still enough to earn him a maiden call-up. He finished the 2023/24 season with five goals and three assists from 36 appearances, following on from an eye-catching finish to the previous campaign.

The 23-year-old will now look to impress the England boss while part of the expanded squad, and could make a senior international debut as he looks to earn a place in the final squad for Euro 2024.

Southgate’s side play friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 3 at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park and against Iceland on June 7 at Wembley, with England’s final 26-man squad set to be confirmed after the latter.

Trent-Alexander Arnold is also expected to be included in today’s squad, but it is unclear whether Joe Gomez will retain his place after earning an international recall in March. Meanwhile, Jarell Quansah has reportedly been handed a maiden call-up, though it remains to be seen if another Liverpool player, Harvey Elliott, will be selected for the first time following an impressive end to the season.