Jordan Henderson rang England manager Gareth Southgate for reassurances that his move to Saudi Arabia would not affect his chances of playing with the Three Lions as the EUROS are less than a year away.
The midfielder has made the move to Al Ettifaq where he will link up with former teammate Steven Gerrard and it is a very big step down in quality from the Premier League.
The 33-year-old is aware of this and according to Sky Sports, the England international rang his national team boss for reassurances that the move would not affect his future with the national team, but Southgate has been unable to offer Henderson guarantees that he will be selected for England.
However, the midfielder also learned that he won’t be immediately overlooked for the national team following his move to Saudi Arabia.
The report states that Henderson wants to continue with England and has told Southgate that he has no interest in retiring from national team duty.
However, his move to Saudi Arabia will certainly affect his chances of playing for the Three Lions as many of his teammates are still playing at a very high level. The midfielder may be brought along due to his influence in the dressing room, but it would not be a surprise if he misses out on the EUROS in Germany next summer.