J-FORCE

The domestic football season is well and truly behind us now, with England only a day away from kicking off their World Cup 2026 campaign. Two names instantly caught the eye of anyone in the Sunderland community when the squad was released, with Jordan Pickford and Henderson ready to represent The Three Lions once more. Having both played an astronomical role in the turnaround of England’s performance at major tournaments over the past eight years, J-Force have one more opportunity to go a step further and bring football back home.

Only one goalkeeper in history has ever been so consistent to claim that they have been England’s number one for five consecutive tournaments - his name is Jordan Pickford.

Originally from Washington, Pickford correctly elected to support Sunderland from a young age, and joined the Academy of Light aged eight. Had it not been for our dramatic demise as a football club unfortunately coming at the same time that Picks was ready for Premier League football, England’s number one might still have very well been our number one now. We were, unfortunately, relegated at the end of Jordan’s first season as our first choice keeper, and joined Everton for a £25 million fee, where he remains to this day.

A year on from relegation form the Premier League came relegation to the Championship, making the summer of 2018 a miserable time to be a Mackem. With Henderson already a well-established member of the England squad, it came as no surprise to see the Liverpool captain named as part of Gareth Southgate’s squad. What did come as a surprise, however, was seeing Pickford having been given the number one shirt ahead of the campaign. The Three Lions finally delivered that summer in giving the England fan base something to cheer about. We reached our first semi-final in twenty-two years, only to be agonisingly knocked out by tomorrow’s opponents - Croatia - in extra time.

The atmosphere in Sunderland, in particular, was electric that summer. Big screens rotated between Park Lane and Low Row in the city centre, as Southgate had given us a team that genuinely looked compatible together, hungry for success and proud to represent the nation. The weather was belting and everyone seemed up for the tournament. Seeing two of your very own part of that amazing squad and doing the football, city and community proud made it just that little bit better, and gave us something to smile about whilst the club let us down majorly.

Pickford even saved a penalty as England beat Columbia on penalties, ending their run of five successive defeats on penalties, before keeping a clean sheet against Sweden, as England shocked everyone and made it to the semis.

The Evertonian would once again be the penalty hero a year later, saving one and scoring one to beat Switzerland on 6-5 penalties. (Yes, Pickford was actually named as one of the first six penalty takers that day.)

Despite losing the final of EURO 2020 against Italy, two years later, the Academy of Light graduate actually managed to save two penalties, which is usually good enough to win a shootout, and would have firmly confirmed his name as an England legend if we had done. He also saved one as we beat the Swiss, again on penalties, in Euro 2024 to book a slot in the semi’s again.

Penalty heroics aside, Pickford is one of England’s most consistent performers over the past decade, and it’s now nationally accepted that he’s never let England down. Alongside Henderson, he’s also been a major reason for the colossal culture change that is obvious to see, translating to the three lions genuinely competing in major tournaments on a regular basis, so much so that we go into this World Cup as third favourites to win it. His consistency, character and reliability are why Jordan Pickford starting for England hasn’t even been up for debate in years, it’s inevitable.

Having missed out on EURO 2024, it looked like Jordan Henderson’s England days were over. With a full season of Premier League football under his belt and a solid campaign at Brentford, however, Hendo is back in the squad for England, as he becomes the first England player to have ever been called up for seven tournaments.

Despite making his tournament debut in Euro 2012, it wasn’t until the aforementioned 2018 World Cup that Hendo became a mainstay for the three lions in a tournament.

The Sunderland-born midfielder started all but two of our games that tournament, the first of which being our final group game against Belgium (after we’d already qualified for the knock-outs) and the play-off for third place after defeat in the semi-final, again, against Belgium.

He then went on to play five times in Euro 2020, even netting his first England goal in a 4-0 victory away to Ukraine, confirming our place in another semi-final.

He made four appearances a year later in Qatar, again scoring as we beat Senegal 3-0 to progress to the Quarter Final’s, where France ended our tournament.

Unlike Pickford, Henderson was there to both witness England during the highs of multiple late-runs into tournaments, penalty victories and amazing, memorable nights, and the lows of being knocked out of the World Cup in 2014 after only two group games, having lost them both, as well as being eliminated by Iceland (whose goalkeeper was a full-time dentist) in the round of 16 at the following EUROs.

Like his Sunderland compatriot, Hendo has been a major part of England’s revolution in the past decade. It’s absolutely no coincidence that he’s managed to have been called-up at almost every single tournament over a fourteen year period. His extreme professionalism, determination and leadership make him an ideal figure to have as part of the squad, driving the standards and helping the boss in running a tight ship.

Many seem to think, however, that Hendo has only been called up for his character and what he offers behind the scenes, completely overlooking what he can offer on the pitch. Having captained Liverpool to winning the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, EFL and Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and FA Community Shield, so many of his ex-teammates have spoken about how influential their skipper was on the field.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain praised Hendo’s communication on the field as like playing alongside a commentator, and his unselfishness and discipline allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah to thrive in a highly energetic Jurgen Klopp side, protecting the right-flank to allow his team mates to create havoc going forward.

Jude Bellingham further enforced this by stating that Henderson was the ‘biggest leader’ in the squad, even calling him the ‘best person he’s ever met in football’.

Given his age and lack of recent experience playing at the top-level, it’s unlikely Tuchel has picked Henderson to start, not to mention the plethora of talented options at the German’s disposal for the tournament. However, if England want any chance of winning this tournament, they are going to have to be able to see games out against tough opposition. The impact Hendo could have late in games, seeing his team through the game and getting us into the next round could be the difference between us getting to another semi, or final, or even winning the thing, and not. There aren’t many players in that England squad, certainly none in midfield, that have the vast experience of having won so many knock-out games, having been the captain for many of them; Liverpool making it to the final of the Champions League three times in the space of five years is testament to that.

Nobody wins all of the above (as captain) and plays for their country a record-breaking seven occasions without being a seriously elite footballer, and Hendo can offer so much to the England squad that others simply can not.

This tournament is likely to be Henderson’s final, given that he turns 36 tomorrow. After an exceptional international career and an astounding contribution to English football, it would be the perfect fairytale ending to this tournament end to see Hendo with his hands on the trophy, having played his part and proven all his doubters wrong.

Pickford, on the other hand, could very well be England’s number one for more years to come, bringing even more pride to the north east as we watch him represent the three lions. Aged 32, some would argue he’s only about to enter his prime years, now, as a goalkeeper.

Whatever happens in this tournament, J-Force have brought so much pride to Sunderland when watching England, and they could, just maybe, go one step further and end sixty years of English hurt. Go one more lads, and bring it home. Sunderland is behind you.