Cole Palmer. Phil Foden. Adam Wharton. Morgan Gibbs-White. Just some of the midfielders who did not make England’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup.It says a lot about Thomas Tuchel’s priorities that, despite an abundance of options, a 35-year-old Jordan Henderson still found his way in.Spots in central midfield were always bound to be competitive. Alongside the certainties that were Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, the relentless performances of Elliot Anderson were too good to ignore. Then there are the exciting young players, the difference-makers — Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Kobbie Mainoo — all of whom probably deserved their shot.Henderson falls into none of those categories. He did not grab the attention or steal the show; in fact, between injuries and rotation, he has not played all that much in recent weeks, completing just four 90-minute games for Brentford since the turn of the year.But clearly, for Tuchel, Henderson brings some of the intangibles to the table — leadership, experience and professionalism — that help to set standards and build the right kind of dressing-room culture; one that keeps younger heads focussed and motivated as the stakes begin to rise.Jordan Henderson will bring leadership, experience and professionalism to the England setup, as he does to Brentford (Clive Rose/Getty Images)Henderson will turn 36 on the day of England’s opening game against Croatia, when he could make history by becoming the first player to represent England at seven different major tournaments, and four different World Cups. Maybe his place could have gone to a more penetrative passer, an elusive creator, an all-round midfielder with a sixth-sense for crashing the box. But from a psychological perspective, Henderson’s presence as someone who has been here many times before, is clearly of great value to Tuchel and his coaching team.Away from his impact in the dressing room, Henderson’s footballing role will also be to provide support and balance to the team. His contributions at the base of Keith Andrews’ midfield are largely auxiliary; dropping into defence, circulating the ball and making selfless runs to allow team-mates to get forward themselves.