Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson has been recalled to the England side because he “embodies everything we try to build”, says new manager Thomas Tuchel.

The German named Henderson in his first England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on Friday, 21 and Monday, 24 March respectively (both 19:45 GMT kick-offs).

Henderson, 34, has won 81 caps but last featured for the Three Lions in November 2023.

“Jordan is a serial winner,” Tuchel said.

“He’s captain of Ajax. What he brings to every team is leadership, character, energy and personality.

“He makes sure everyone lives by the standards. He embodies everything we try to build. We want to build a team our fans are proud of.”

Tuchel, speaking at a news conference after announcing his 26-man squad, was asked about Henderson’s reaction when he rang the former Liverpool player and said “Hi, it’s Thomas Tuchel”.

“Hi, I’m Jordan,” was Tuchel’s response.

The England coach added: “We had this phone call a few weeks ago where I wanted to check in, introduce myself and see how he feels about this idea and if he was ready. It was a video call because at least you can see reactions.

“He appreciated it. I didn’t call him with an unknown number, I texted him before. For me, it was so nice to see his genuine reaction. He is a serial winner with over 80 caps and just the pure joy and how humble he was to take this decision. It was very impressive.”