England substitute Jordan Henderson was stretchered off the pitch late on Sunday night after being injured in a freak post-match accident following his team’s dramatic victory over hosts Mexico.
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At Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, three Lions players were soaking in the enthusiastic cheers of England supporters as they reveled in their team’s 3-2 Round of 16 victory.
The team gathered to sing the Oasis classic “Wonderwall,” the tournament’s unofficial anthem. England captain Harry Kane climbed over a temporary wall, believed to be around four feet high, erected for advertising purposes.
A second later, Henderson put his hands on the barrier and lifted himself up several times. However, Henderson appeared to lose his grip and fell awkwardly.
This bizarre accident took the joy out of England’s dressing room.
England manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters after the match: “Obviously I’m exhausted and emotional so I have mixed feelings, but I’m also sad that Jordan is injured.”
“He injured his wrist. He’s in the hospital right now, so it’s a pretty serious injury. And for Jordan not to be with us, it’s not appropriate for this night. We don’t know the protocols or what’s going on. We just went to press and the doctors told us he’s in the hospital.”
Kane quickly noticed that his teammate was in pain and signaled first responders to rush onto the pitch.
“Hend just fell down there, but he has a problem with his arm so I think he’ll be OK,” Kane told the BBC shortly after the freak accident.
Brentford midfielder Henderson left the pitch on a stretcher, marking the end of a World Cup campaign in which he managed to make headlines despite making limited appearances.
Although he did not play in the game against Mexico, he was shown a yellow card in the 98th minute. Henderson, wearing a warm-up vest, appeared to intervene in a touchline clash between teammate Jude Bellingham and Mexico’s Johan Vazquez.
Henderson came on as a substitute in the group stage match against Panama, becoming the first England player to appear in four World Cups.
