Henderson defends Bellingham, calls him 'special' England player

England midfielder Jordan Henderson has strongly defended teammate Jude Bellingham, describing the 22-year-old as a special player with an "X-factor" who is crucial to the team's success.

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I know a lot gets written in the media, and I find it hard to read sometimes, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field and what he gives us is just something really special.

Henderson, speaking after an England training session, dismissed media scrutiny of Bellingham, stating that his influence is often misunderstood. "I know a lot gets written in the media, and I find it hard to read sometimes, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team," Henderson said. "He's a big-game player. He's got experience in tournaments, so he's a huge, huge player for us in this tournament."

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He's had big moments in his career. He's a big-game player. He's got experience in tournaments, so he's a huge, huge player for us in this tournament.

The veteran midfielder also highlighted Bellingham's positive impact off the field, noting his maturity and good training habits. "If you ask any player in the group, they'll tell you how much of a good teammate he is," Henderson added.

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If you ask any player in the group, they'll tell you how much of a good teammate he is, how well he trains.

Henderson himself faces scrutiny as a controversial selection for his fourth World Cup at 36, chosen over younger midfielders. He stated that manager Thomas Tuchel advised him to "be myself, regardless how much I'm playing." He also anticipates a difficult match against Croatia, particularly facing veteran Luka Modric, whom he described as a "top world-class player."

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I think his career speaks for itself. He's a top world-class player, so hard to play against, hopefully he doesn't perform as well as we know he can against us, but I haven't seen him have a bad game yet, so it'll be a difficult test, of course, for whoever plays in midfield.