Gareth Southgate reveals why boos won't affect Jordan Henderson's role in England squad
Gareth Southgate has insisted he'll continue to pick Jordan Henderson for England duty after the midfielder was roundly booed during the friendly clash with Australia .
The former Liverpool captain was booed when he was substituted in the second half of the 1-0 win over Australia on Friday at Wembley Stadium, having faced public criticism for his summer move to Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq.
Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia has been met with extreme disappointment from theLGBTQ+ community — a community he has been a vocal supporter of in the past — due to the country's poor human rights record.
Speaking to the press ahead of England's Euro 2024 qualifying clash with Italy, manager Southgate was asked if Henderson will be selected for future squads despite being booed by fans.
He said: «Yes, 100%. I'll always pick the players that I think are the best players to represent the team, that give us the best chance of winning, unless there's something that I feel is not appropriate.
»In this instance, people may disagree with Jordan's stance or decision, given the stance he's taken in the past to support the LGBT community, but I don't think that's a reason to not select him.
«I don't actually think that's a reason to boo him. We would like the fans behind us, we're a stronger team if the supporters are with us and wholeheartedly supporting the team. That's the connection we've had over a long period of time now.»
This is the second time in recent months Southgate has been forced to come out in defence of a player who has been jeered. In the aftermath of England's friendly win over Scotland, the manager also backed under-fire Harry Maguire after the defender scored an own goal at Hamden Park.
Asked whether or not he is keen to
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