By: Harry Harris
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has told ESPNsoccernet he believes he will have a fight on his hands to keep Jordan Henderson after he makes his England debut.
Henderson, 20, has been included in the England squad to face France in a friendly at Wembley on Wednesday, and Fabio Capello has already confirmed he will be part of his starting line-up.
Bruce has now revealed that the Premier League's top clubs have all asked to be kept informed about any developments on Henderson's future and, while Bruce accepts he may have a fight on his hands to hold onto the player, he says he will not be allowed to leave for less than £25 million.
"It is wonderful that Jordan is playing for England, just wonderful, and he deserves it," Bruce told ESPNsoccernet. "Make no mistake - he is that good.
"It shows you just what football is like because, when I first got into the job at Sunderland, this lad was out on loan at Coventry, but the minute I saw him, I had him straight back.
"To be fair, that doesn't make me a genius. From the minute you can see what this lad can do, you can see he was heading for the top.
"Everything about him is right. He is full of endeavour, young, hungry, and the archetypal modern day footballer, 6ft 2in and yet a marvellous athlete. He is also a level-headed kid, which makes him a pleasure to work with.
"Of course, his debut with England is a touch overshadowed by that of Andy Carroll, and you can see why. Andy is a centre forward, which people naturally talk about, and he has this bad-boy image, rightly or wrongly, and that attracts so much attention and publicity.
"Jordan is a contrast in so much as he is a very quiet lad himself and his attitude is so refreshing. This is a lad who isn't going to get himself into trouble.
"Little wonder when you put all these qualities together he is courted by all the top clubs. Perhaps I shouldn't say this, and it is my problem, but now he is also playing for England it is going to be so hard to keep him at Sunderland, but I will try. It will be a fight, though.
"Jordan was fantastic when he played for the Under-21s when Fabio Capello watched him in the stands, and you can see why all the clubs have asked to be kept informed."
Bruce feels Adam Johnson's current difficulties in securing first-team football at Manchester City should be a cautionary tale for Henderson if he looks to make the step up, but he believes he has the potential to become as good as the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
"For someone who is just 20, who has already played so much in the Premier League, and now for England, you would have to say why would you want to sell him for anything less than £25 million? He has an awful lot ahead of him, much more to come from him, so it would be good value for a top club," he said.
"But equally he has to think about his career. He still has to work at his game and he needs to be playing regularly. He has to be mindful of Adam Johnson, moving from Middlesbrough to a top club like Manchester City and then not getting as many games as he would like, or that he needs, so it isn't always best to take the seemingly obvious move.
"If this boy continues the way he is then I am convinced he will be as good as Gerrard, as good as Lampard. There is no doubt that he has the potential to be the next Gerrard or Lampard, but we all have to assess what is the best route for his career.
"I hope there is no way he will go in January, then we shall have to see what transpires in the summer. He is born-and-bred Sunderland, and while it might be a fight to keep him, who knows? He might come to the conclusion it's best for him to stay with us."
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