Jordan Henderson
#14 · Midfielder · age 35 · (VC)
Record-equalling 4th World Cup alongside Bobby Charlton
89
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 53
- Career peak
- 98
- League level
- 100
- Competition pedigree
- 98
- International pedigree
- 97
- Longevity
- 66
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Whether Henderson plays a single competitive minute is almost beside the point — he is here because Tuchel decided that a dressing room with Kane, Stones, Rice, and Bellingham needed a vice-captain who had survived three World Cups, two final-four runs, and a Champions League final on the bench. He is the most likely starter against a lower-block opponent if Tuchel wants more rest defence than Mainoo or Anderson can offer, and he remains a reliable late-stage closer for one-goal games. The Bobby Charlton bracket alone makes this selection a piece of football history.
Strengths
- leadership and dressing-room standards
- tempo-controlling short passing
- tactical discipline as a rotation midfielder
- set-piece organisation
Recent form
Started 28 Premier League matches for Brentford in 2025-26; less mobile than his prime but still high-volume in possession.
Was the first Liverpool captain to lift the Premier League trophy in the club's 30-year wait for a league title — and did so on his living-room sofa during the COVID-suspension restart of 2019-20, since the actual trophy presentation was behind closed doors at Anfield.