Ajax will try to reach the quarter-finals of the Conference League at the expense of Aston Villa on Thursday evening. Villa manager Unai Emery is particularly wary of the 'fantastic' Jordan Henderson, the coach said in conversation with Football International.

Henderson made a good impression in the first match in the Johan Cruijff ArenA (0-0), as did many of his teammates. The Amsterdam team, previously labeled as the underdog against the number four of the Premier League, held up surprisingly well against Emery's well-oiled machine.

“They dominated us,” Emery reflects. “Ajax has a great history, but is still a good team, they showed that in Amsterdam. Particularly through their positional play. In the build-up they always managed to avoid our pressure. Of course that was also because we did not press very well as planned, but especially because they were very good on the ball.”

Emery does not want to know anything about being a favorite for Villa. The Spaniard states that it is very difficult to be the favorite in Europe, 'especially against Ajax'. “The signing of Jordan Henderson is an example of this, they get a very experienced player, an England international, who knows exactly how we play. Henderson played fantastic in the first game, really fantastic.”

Emery thought Henderson was one of the best players on the field during the first leg on March 7. “He is very intelligent. He knows when to keep possession of the ball or when to put the ball behind the last line. He is very good at pressing, he is very good at jump. When we analyzed them and played against them, his individual quality was clear to see, and so was his tactical intelligence.”

For Henderson, the match at Villa Park will also be an opportunity to show himself to Gareth Southgate in his home country of England. The national coach will announce his selection on Thursday afternoon for the practice matches with Brazil (March 23) and Belgium (March 26). Henderson, who played 81 international matches for the Three Lionshowever, faces stiff competition.

Richard Jolly van The Independent reported on Tuesday that Henderson must seriously fear for his place in the selection, given the competition from Kalvin Phillips (West Ham United) and Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United). A disadvantage for Henderson is that the European Championship selection consists of 23 players. During the 2020 European Championship and the 2022 World Cup, national coaches were allowed to select 26 players. It means that Southgate can experiment less in the run-up to the 2024 European Championship.

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