Jordan Henderson: There's a lot more to come from me with England

IT’S no coincidence that you find Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson in the front seat of the Del Boy Trotter- type three-wheeler in the amusing deodorant advert.

00:30, Sun, Mar 29, 2015 | UPDATED: 08:19, Sun, Mar 29, 2015

Jordan Henderson GETTY

Jordan Henderson admits there's more to come from him at international level

His accomplices as they rush to make a red-carpet event, Raheem Sterling and Simon Mignolet, are wedged in the back.

Just another example of the leadership qualities of the 24-year-old rising England star who has now come up smelling of roses after a stuttering start to life at a big club and on the international stage.

His call-up to the 2012 European Championship finals was vilified in some quarters. Some deemed the midfielder’s move from Sunderland to Liverpool “a waste of money”.

Henderson has emerged from that traumatic period a more rounded individual, well liked by his peers.

It’s why he is Liverpool’s vice-captain, heir apparent to Steven Gerrard, and one of Roy Hodgson’s first picks for England. “I’ve developed a lot really since my England debut. I was quite young at the time and it was a shock to my system,’’ said Henderson.

It was November 2010 at Wembley and France ran out 2-1 winners. “It was disappointing for me personally and for the team as well. But I feel as though I’ve learnt a lot from there and have matured a lot,’’ he added.

Many people needed convincing that the £20million man was the real deal. In fact, Liverpool at one stage were prepared to sell him to Fulham.

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I feel there’s a lot more to come at international level from me
Jordan Henderson

But Henderson has a tenacious desire to succeed, and admitted: “I’ve always thought you’ll go through difficult times in life and certainly in your career. You’ve just got to keep believing, be true to yourself and keep working as hard as you can.

“I think belief is the biggest thing. If you can overcome what everybody else says or thinks about you, if you have belief in yourself, then you can get through that and get through anything. I felt if I kept working hard and kept improving, I could have an important part to play at Liverpool. It’s the same with England – I feel there’s a lot more to come at international level from me.”

The whole England squad, despite looking certainties to qualify for next summer’s European Championship finals in France, still have much to do to convince a doubting public who witnessed a horror show last year in the World Cup finals.

“We received a lot of criticism and rightly so, but we have reacted well from then and showed great character and spirit,” said Henderson.

As a former skipper of the Under-21 side, he is no doubt that given the opportunity younger England players like Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Everton’s Ross Barkley should make themselves available for this summer’s European Under-21 Championships.

He maintained: “I felt it did do me a lot of good and I gained a lot of experience. It wasn’t all good as I had two Under-21 tournaments and we didn’t do that well in either – but I learnt a lot from playing in those games.

“I would tell any of those young lads to go out there and play in tournament football for their country at any level. You’ve got to manage it with the club managers whose best interest is the player.

“But for me personally I want to play every game for club and country and if I’m fit I’ll want to play at a tournament whatever the level.”