Henderson: From Here On, It Only Gets Tougher

Jordan Henderson made history as the first English footballer to feature in four World Cups when he came on against Panama, yet the midfielder still harbors ambitions for significant success as the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup approach. The 36-year-old came off the bench in Saturday's 2-0 victory, a result that secured England's progression as Group L winners and set up a Round of 16 clash against DR Congo.

Henderson was part of the 2014 World Cup squad that saw Roy Hodgson's side exit in the group stage, before being a key figure in the teams that reached the semi-finals in 2018 and the quarter-finals four years later. His role has evolved considerably for this tournament, and he remains committed to doing whatever it takes to help England finally end their 60-year trophy drought.

"Time flies by so quickly. It's incredibly special to represent my country at four World Cups. I'm just happy to be a part of this team, and it's still as special now as it was when I made my debut," he stated.

"I'm happy to contribute as much as possible, both on and off the pitch, and I'm simply trying to give my all to help us achieve our dreams," the midfielder added.

England did what was necessary to emerge from a challenging group as winners, securing a more favorable path to the latter stages than if they had finished second. Henderson understands the demands of knockout football.

"Knockout football is tough; we just need to stay calm at this moment and believe in what we've achieved so far. We have an incredible squad, and the start to the group was good. Winning the group wasn't easy, so the lads deserve some credit for that. From here on, it's only going to get tougher. We need to stay confident, follow what the manager wants from us in the game plan, and I think if we can execute that, then we'll have a good chance of winning matches," Henderson commented further.

England will face DR Congo for the first time. Despite being ranked 41st in the world, the African side earned four points from their group, including a 1-1 draw with Portugal.

"I saw in their first match that they got a good result against Portugal. So, they are a good team; they have some very strong players. In the knockout rounds, no match is easy," Henderson concluded.