JORDAN HENDERSON was loudly booed by England fans on his return to Wembley after taking the Saudi Arabian millions.
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate made the Al-Ettifaq ace captain for the 1-0 friendly win over Australia and defended his skipper after the Wembley crowd booed the £700,000-a-week midfielder.
Henderson was targeted when his named was read out before the game, when on the ball in the first half and loudly when replaced in the 62nd minute.
Last month Henderson started away to Ukraine, then was on the bench in Scotland but fans jeered him here in his first match back on English soil in which Ollie Watkins bagged a 57th minute winner.
Southgate said: “I really don’t understand it – he is a player, I think it is 79 caps now for England.
“His commitment and what he has done for England is exceptional.
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“His role on and off the pitch is phenomenally important.
“So yeah some people decided to boo but I really don’t understand what that is for.
“We have players in England shirts. Come on, we play Italy here Tuesday. Let’s get behind this team.
“I know we weren’t at our best tonight but that is due to a lot of changes made and gave the players out there a really difficult task.
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Asked if Henderson’s backing for Saudi’s 2034 World Cup bid last week would have annoyed fans, Southgate added: “What has that got to do with supporting a guy wearing an England shirt?
“I don’t really know where we’re heading with everything.
“I’m hugely impressed with the impeccable values and decisions that everybody in our country is making then. I don’t understand it.
“I know what has created it and why it has happened but it defies logic to me that you would give a player who is putting his heart and soul into playing for England. How is that going to help him or the team?”
Watkins sealed the win for an underwhelming Three Lions, bagging his second goal in as many starts.
The Villa man said: “They’re the best ones, the tap-ins, I’ll take it all day.
“At the end of the day it says your name on the Sky Sports app, and that’s all that matters so I’ll take it.
“It is always an honour putting on this shirt. It has been a long time coming. I have been waiting a long time for the next call up. I was looking forward to it and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
