Football
ESPN staff 7y

Jordan Henderson: England vs. Scotland is a 'massive game'

Gareth Southgate has shown the England squad a video of past encounters with Scotland in an effort to make them aware of the size of the game, Jordan Henderson has said.

Henderson, 26, has been named in the starting XI for Friday's World Cup qualifier at Wembley and is aware of the game's meaning in terms of rivalry and on the road to a major finals.

"Obviously it is a massive game," he said. "If you look at the history of the fixture, it's not a normal game," Henderson said.

"We watched a video of a lot of the past games -- there was a few I can remember, especially Paul Gascoigne's goal at Euro '96.

"The lads know the importance of the game, not only because it's England vs. Scotland but also because we want to qualify for the World Cup."

Henderson also made the case for Southgate to take over as England manager on a permanent basis.

"I think the manager has done brilliantly since he was given the opportunity, and the players are very supportive of him," he said.

"On the training pitch we've learnt a lot and we're trying to put into practice in the game at the weekend. Hopefully the performance is at a high level and we get the three points."

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