Jordan Henderson: 'Stuart Pearce good enough for England coaching staff'

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has backed England Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce to take up a coaching role with the senior team.

Pearce was the Great Britain coach at the 2012 London Games and has also taken the Under-21s side to the verge of qualification to the Under-21 European Championships.

"He's a great inspiration and a great leader for everyone involved," Henderson told Sky Sports News. "For us, he's brilliant and he's someone that we definitely look up to.

"Of course, he's definitely got a role [to play] in the senior team. It hasn't really got much to do with me, I don't know what goes on, but for us he's a great manager and a great leader."

England defeated Azerbaijan 2-0 in their Under-21 European Championships qualifier on Thursday.