Elland Road provides a great send-off for the Three Lions

TWELVE days on from leading a team out amid a cacophony of ear-splitting noise in Kiev, Jordan Henderson sampled another special and highly-charged atmosphere a bit closer to home on Thursday evening.
Jordan Henderson of England during the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Elland Road. (Picture: Marc Atkins/Offside/Getty Images)Jordan Henderson of England during the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Elland Road. (Picture: Marc Atkins/Offside/Getty Images)
Jordan Henderson of England during the International Friendly match between England and Costa Rica at Elland Road. (Picture: Marc Atkins/Offside/Getty Images)

After captaining Liverpool in their Champions League final with Real Madrid in the Ukrainian capital, Henderson donned the armband once more – with regular captain Harry Kane being an unused substitute – in England’s pre-World Cup send-off against Costa Rica at a throbbing and expectant Elland Road.

Just as Kiev’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium proved a parochial arena dominated by Liverpool supporters who comprised two-thirds of the crowd in the loss to Los Blancos, so Leeds United’s home proved a raucous bearpit, with Henderson’s first experience of Elland Road being a positive one.

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The decision of FA overlords to switch Thursday’s friendly ‘up north’ reaped a harvest and rewound the clock to some memorable atmospheres during the England’s team’s tour of the nation from October, 2000 – when the old Wembley shut its doors for the final time – to June, 2007.

On the road: Delle Ali congratulates Danny Welbeck on scoring the second goal from his cross in the 76th minute to make it 2-0 against Costa Rica at Elland Road. Picture: Conor Molloy/Action Plus via Getty ImagesOn the road: Delle Ali congratulates Danny Welbeck on scoring the second goal from his cross in the 76th minute to make it 2-0 against Costa Rica at Elland Road. Picture: Conor Molloy/Action Plus via Getty Images
On the road: Delle Ali congratulates Danny Welbeck on scoring the second goal from his cross in the 76th minute to make it 2-0 against Costa Rica at Elland Road. Picture: Conor Molloy/Action Plus via Getty Images

In total, England played 34 home games when Wembley was being redeveloped, taking in 14 different grounds.

Fans from across the country, who previously had to travel to the capital to see England in action, revelled in the chance of watching the Three Lions closer to home with the move also sending out a powerful cultural message that the national team belongs to everyone and not just London and the south-east.

Thursday night’s vibrant atmosphere at a sell-out Elland Road, where scores of families and young supporters were present, suggested that moving England around the country again will be a sure-fire winner.

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When the expected £600m purchase of the national stadium is completed by billionaire American Shahid Khan, England – whose starting line-up contained just one Londoner in the shape of Ruben Loftus-Cheek – are likely to move more home games away from Wembley on a regular basis and it is something that players fully support, too, along with fans.

Wearside-born Henderson acknowledged: “It was good. It was the first time I have played here (at Leeds) and I enjoyed it and the atmosphere was really good.

“The (England) atmosphere is normally pretty good, but I do think that it is a good idea to travel around so that different fans can look forward to games and watch the team further up north. I think it was a good idea and worked well. The atmosphere was really good and, hopefully, we can do that more often.”

His sentiments were echoed by a Mancunian in Danny Welbeck and despite some good-natured jeers aimed at the ex-Manchester United striker and Marcus Rashford and Phil Jones, who still wear the colours of the Red Devils, from the Leeds supporting contingent present, the overall impression was wholly positive.

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Arsenal forward Welbeck, who followed up Rashford’s fine first-half goal with a second to seal the win 15 minutes from time after entering the fray as a second-half substitute, said: “Coming and playing up north is a bit different to playing at Wembley. But the fans came out in full force and supported us from the first whistle to the last and it was a great atmosphere and the lads really enjoyed it.

“It was a good performance and it has built a platform going into the Championships.

“I am pleased to get a goal. To get on the pitch and get some more minutes before the tournament is good for me and it was a good performance all around.”

For Henderson, Thursday night also represented the first step in the healing process after the deep-seated disappointment of events in Kiev with his club late last month.

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Grateful for something fresh to focus on after Liverpool’s Champions League final loss, Henderson has a welcome diversion, although the pain of May 26 will not go away for a good while.

He added: “I do not think you will ever forget that, really.

“It will always be there because it hurts so much.

“But I think you can learn from that experience and that it can help you as a player to get better and keep striving, wanting more and improving.

“It (switching to England) can help, but it was difficult straight after and it was good I got some time with my family to switch off and then refocus on the World Cup. And it is the World Cup. To get back playing as quickly as possible was the most important thing.”

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One player most definitely grateful for the change of scenery from club to country was Rashford, whose effervescence and verve in a man-of-the-match display against Costa Rica compared markedly with the confidence-sapped figure who was substituted after a subdued showing for his club in the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 19.

It put the tin lid on a frustrating season at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho. Not that you could tell on Thursday when he played with an uncluttered mind and revelled in the pitch freedom afforded him by Gareth Southgate and the chance to showcase his talents in uninhibited fashion.

In the process, the 20-year-old laid down a big claim to start England’s tournament opener against Tunisia on Monday week.

On the impact of his ex-United team-mate, Welbeck said: “He has been freed to play. The manager tells you to go out there and be free and express yourself. With the structure we have got as a team, we all know what we have to do and when you get the opportunity, you must express yourself.

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“There is a lot of talent all over the squad and it is healthy competition for everybody. It gives the manager a good selection headache and Marcus’s goal was incredible. He has definitely staked his claim.”