Jordan Henderson sends Kobbie Mainoo a message following England snub

Jordan Henderson has sent Kobbie Mainoo a message after Gareth Southgate picked the Manchester United star ahead of him for England.

Kobbie Mainoo‘s rise to first-team stardom at Manchester United this summer has been one of the stories of the season. After the player suffered an ankle injury in pre-season, Mainoo has established himself as one of the most important cogs in Erik ten Hag‘s team.

Having scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the FA Cup final, Mainoo has become one of the Premier League‘s hottest properties and forced his way into Gareth Southgate‘s preliminary England squad for the European Championships in Germany this summer.

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While Mainoo was included, other more established names such as Kalvin Phillips, Marcus Rashford, and Jordan Henderson were left out. This came as a surprise to many, considering that Southgate has often relied on his traditional players for major tournaments.

Henderson, who left Liverpool last summer, has now opened up about being shunned from the squad in favour of players such as Mainoo. He has sent the 19-year-old a positive message ahead of their potential competitive debuts for England.

“I’m sure Kobbie and a few of the other lads who are new to the squad will feel at home straight away and be able to perform whenever they play for England,” Henderson said, as quoted by The Mirror.

“Every time a new or young player comes into the squad, the experienced players in the group feel a responsibility to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

“We want to make sure that they train well, play for England, express themselves and do what they’ve been doing for their club.”

Mainoo is due to arrive at England’s St. Geroge’s training facility later this week. Fellow United stars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are also in the squad.