John Terry says it was ‘weird’ for the FA to put Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers on a podcast to praise Jordan Henderson amid criticism over the ex-Liverpool captain’s inclusion in England’s World Cup squad.
Henderson was deemed more worthy of a place in the 26-man squad than Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton despite the fact he will turn 36 on Wednesday.
The selection has brought England boss Thomas Tuchel a wave of criticism, but the German has insisted that the Brentford midfielder is a ‘serial winner’ and the ‘glue’ which holds his side together.
And, during an appearance on England’s Lions Den podcast, Bellingham and Rogers were also quick to throw their support behind Henderson.
The Real Madrid man beamed: ‘Don’t get us started on [Jordan] Hendo, we could talk about him for hours. He’s so funny, the funniest guy in camp. He gets everyone laughing, and he gets everyone together.’
But now former England centre-half Terry has accused the England duo of being put on a ‘PR Job’ by the FA in the wake of their interview.
John Terry told Piers Morgan and Simon Jordan that it was ‘weird’ for England to send Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers on a ‘PR job’ to praise Jordan Henderson
Bellingham and Rogers had thrown their support behind Henderson during an appearance on England’s Lions Den podcast
Henderson has been included in Tuchel’s 26-man squad despite the fact he turns 36 on Thursday
Speaking to Piers Morgan and Simon Jordan on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: ‘I think it was a bit weird for the FA to put that out and kind of put those two guys on a podcast to talk about it.
‘I don’t think it’s for them to talk about, but I felt like the FA were kind of addressing something that everyone’s been talking about.
‘I’ve got Jordan Henderson’s back on this 100 per cent. I don’t know Jordan too well, but from what I see from him, he’s a top, top player.
‘Is he going to start? No, he’s not. But I feel he plays a big part in this World Cup for us late in the games with the experience he’s got.’
The Chelsea star also went on to question Tuchel’s decision to leave out Man United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw in favour of John Stones.
‘I was disappointed in the decision to leave out two experienced players in Maguire and Shaw,’ Terry said.
‘You look at (John) Stones coming in. He will put pressure on Tuchel because of how well he plays – and possibly now Stones starts. But there are other players in this group and I’m not sure whether they do that.
‘Jordan Henderson is 100 per cent that player for us. He’s brave, he’ll come on the last 15 or 20 minutes. I think he’s got a big role to play.’
Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are competing for a place in Tuchel’s starting eleven
The Three Lions will begin their quest to put an end to 60 years of hurt on Wednesday in Dallas, Texas, when they face Croatia.
Temperatures in the southern American city this week have soared beyond 40C, but it is expected that the roof at the air-conditioned AT&T Stadium will be closed for the clash.
Much of the debate heading into the tournament has been about who Tuchel will opt to play in midfield, with both Rogers and Bellingham vying for a spot in the No 10 position ahead of Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, who look primed to start.
Rogers has been a mainstay under the German since his appointment, while Bellingham has at times come in for criticism.
After England’s loss to Senegal at the City Ground last summer, Tuchel claimed his own mother had been left ‘repulsed’ by Bellingham’s behaviour after he kicked a water cooler in a rage.
And speaking to reporters ahead of his side’s 3-0 defeat of Costa Rica last week, Tuchel insisted that the World Cup will not be won by ‘individuals’ after being asked about the rivalry between Rogers and Bellingham.
‘We have a lot of proof we can win football matches without Jude and that’s the important headline,’ he said. ‘Jude is in amazing form but we have to stop talking about individuals.
‘Jude will not win this World Cup alone. It’s simply impossible. No-one will win this World Cup alone. We win it as a team.
‘I will not play this game (over who starts). You (the media) can play this game. Of course I understand the fascination. I have the same fascination. I see these players every day on the training pitches.’
After the clash with Croatia, England face Ghana on Tuesday and then Panama the following Saturday night in their final group game.
Which England star has 7 GCSEs? Who has lost half of his finger? Test your knowledge of Thomas Tuchel’s squad with our exclusive quiz HERE.
