'He's a role model to us all' - Jordan Henderson's former Sunderland school 'buzzing' as ex-Farringdon Academy pupil prepares for England to face Germany in Euro 2020

Before becoming a Premier League-winning Liverpool and England star, Jordan Henderson attended Farringdon Community Academy and his involvement at Euro 2020 has left staff and pupils filled with pride and excitement.

Despite playing just 45 minutes in the tournament so far due to injury, Henderson’s return to fitness could be pivotal to England success and his former school is excited to see how far their former pupil and England can go.

Headteacher at Farringdon Community Academy, Neal Holder, believes the way Henderson carries himself off the pitch is just as important to what he does on it.

He said: “It goes without saying that the Academy is very proud of Jordan’s achievements in representing his hometown club, Liverpool and England. It is not just Jordan the footballer that the Academy is proud of, it is also Jordan the person.

“He has shown over the years that hard work, resilience and dedication have ensured that he has achieved rewards that most of us can only dream of.

"Jordan always conducts himself with the utmost professionalism and is a leader both on and off the pitch. He is a role model to us all and someone our students aspire to be.”

Excitement is building at Farringdon Community Academy as England progressed to the Euro 2020 knockout stages, and students at the school have recently been involved in documentaries from Liverpool TV and the FA, chronicling Henderson’s journey.

Mr Holder added: “Over the last couple of weeks the Academy has hosted Liverpool TV, filming a documentary celebrating Jordan’s rise from Farringdon to his 10 years at Liverpool, and also the Football Association who were filming a documentary on Jordan’s story from Farringdon to England.

“As you can imagine the students are buzzing with all the activity at the moment. It’s brilliant how he has raised the profile of his old school and the local area.”

After qualifying top of group D, England will now go on to face Germany in the round of 16 at Wembley on Tuesday June 29.

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