Liverpool’s midfielder, Jordan Henderson says the popularity of the manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, has helped reduce the intensity of the rivalry between England and Germany.
The captain of Liverpool who is currently on duty with the Three Lions of England in the ongoing Euro 2020, believes that Jurgen Klopp is being loved by so many football fans that the love has made the coach a big influence.
England and Germany will face each other in the Euro 2020 round of 16 match at the Wembley Stadium on June 29, 2021. The game is expected to be action-packed due to the fight for dominance that exists between the two counties.
But Jordan Henderson who just returned from months of layoff due to fitness issues stressed that the fireworks might not be too intense from the parts of the fans for the love of the German tactician.
“Yeah, the gaffer at Liverpool has been very influential,” Henderson said.
“The charisma he has got, a lot of people love him even if you’re a neutral fan. He’s had a big part [to play] in English football in the Premier League.”
Jordan Henderson reveals how Jurgen Klopp reacts to England vs Germany fixture
Jurgen Klopp has been a part of English football since he left his home country, Germany for England in 2015. Since then, he has led Liverpool to play against a couple of German clubs with a very high level of professionalism.
Besides his charisma on and off the pitch, the successes he has recorded with Liverpool have made him a delight to most football fans in and out of the United Kingdom. But the time he has spent at Liverpool would not take away the fact that he is a German coach.
Hence, Jordan Henderson who has been working very closely with Klopp and been the captain of his team since the departure of Steven Gerrard in 2015, said the coach sent him an emoji after it was confirmed that England would play Germany.
“As soon as the final whistle went he just sent me a smiley face emoji!” Henderson said.
Henderson and his role in the current England setup
Jordan Henderson is one of the very few veterans in the current setup of the Three Lions of England. Over 90 percent of his teammates in the squad are still in their early 20s. Hence, the midfielder is seen as one of the leaders in the squad.
The 31-year-old midfielder who made his 60th appearance for the Three Lions of England on Tuesday, June 22 against the Czech Republic has been identified as one of the players that would help the younger players to manage their emotions against Germany on June 29.
Though England are yet to lose a game in the ongoing tournament, they are yet to meet a team as huge as Germany in the tournament. They played Czech Republic, Croatia, and Scotland in Group D who are not as huge as Germany in terms of antecedent in the game and talent.
On the other hand, though Germany are composed of young players too, they have played against some of the best teams in the tournament. They finished from Group F (Group of Death) which comprises current World Cup champions, France, and reigning European Championship winners Portugal. Yet, they were able to finish second in the group.
Hence, more leadership would be needed in England’s team before and during the round of 16 game against Germany on Tuesday.
Jordan Henderson said: “We have quite a young squad. And that can be a positive thing. A lot of them go out and just enjoy the game, play with no fear, and that’s what they need to do again on Tuesday.
“Go and enjoy it, go and show everyone how good you are, but use the passion and emotion in the right way to give you energy for the game, because that can be the difference.
“As an experienced player, I can help with that, and make sure we are in the right frame of mind going into the game, making sure training is at the right level over the next few days.
“But everyone is confident, feeling good, and we have a few days to prepare for a huge game. A lot of the lads have already played in big games – Champions League finals, cup finals, big games for England – so they’re used to those, even though they’re young, and I’m sure they’re looking forward to this one on Tuesday.”
