Kalvin Phillips has defended England teammate Jordan Henderson after fierce criticism from Roy Keane and sections of the media over his fitness.
The Leeds United midfielder could be in line to start for the Three Lions against Croatia on Sunday as the Liverpool captain continues his rehabilitation from groin surgery.
Henderson made his injury comeback against Romania last Sunday, replacing Phillips at half-time, which was his first appearances since February.
Prior to the match, Keane had questioned why Henderson was named in Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad if he wasn't fit to start again a team of Romania's calibre, suggesting that he'd been brought to host "quizzes in the evenings".
Phillips, though, has defended his international colleagues, insisting he "loves having him here" for his dressing room experience.
“When people saying ‘he’s not fit’ and ‘why is he there’,” Phillips told Sky Sports.
“I just think he’s a good person to have around, especially for a lot of young lads who are here.
“There are a lot of lads who are here for their first tournament as well. And it’s good to have somebody who can share their experiences with you.
“In Jordan’s case, whether he’s fit or not, I love having him here. I love speaking to him. I love having him around the place because he just makes it a lot more comfortable for players like me.”
Henderson himself responded to Keane's comments but played down any spat whilst reaffirming his fitness.
“To be fair to Roy, he can say what he wants about me. He gave me my debut and I wouldn’t be here without him giving me that. I found it quite funny, actually.”
“Listen, we know a little bit more detail – I know more detail and so does the manager … which Roy may not,” Henderson added.
“But in terms of stuff like that, everyone’s going to have an opinion, everybody’s going to think they know better than everyone else.
“Yeah, and the card tricks he [Keane] was on about.
“I’ve got a few of them up my sleeve. As a player, you want to play. I’m not coming here just to be around the camp, like Roy was saying.
"Whenever I’m called upon, I’ll be ready and hopefully, I can make a big contribution.”
