JORDAN HENDERSON will come face to face tonight with the Scottish force of nature that is Scott Brown, no doubt a manic vision of frenetic patrolling while whirring about the middle of the Wembley pitch like a Tasmanian Devil in a really, really pink top.

It will be a new experience for the 26-year-old midfielder as he takes part in his first England v Scotland, the now Liverpool captain having been left on the bench when the sides met in Glasgow two years ago and out of the squad completely the year before in London.

The battle between the two commanding figures will play a big part in how this World Cup Group F qualifier pans out. Especially given the nature of Brown’s dramatic return to the Scotland fold and the arms that were flung open at the mere suggestion of his change of heart. But it is also a dream midfield pairing that will have one Northern Irishman watching on with both a sense of pride and possibly a pinch of regret.

Only last month Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, revealed in a statement of admiration directed towards Brown that he would have had him in his Liverpool team of 2014 that surged agonisingly close to the Premier League title. Within that side contained Henderson, a player whose rejuvenation at Anfield was largely down to Rodgers’ influence after initially being brought in by Kenny Dalglish during the summer of 2011.

It was under his stewardship on Merseyside that saw the former Sunderland man transformed from a fringe player to the beating heart of a title challenging juggernaut. While never on the fringes at Celtic, it is undeniable that Rodgers has helped orchestrate a renaissance in Brown’s career, a helping hand that opened up the door to this Wembley return.

“I think Scott is a very good player, I have seen him over the years and he is very experienced,” said Henderson. “He has been a fantastic player for Celtic for many years and a great leader as well.

“Yeah it will be a difficult game for tomorrow and I am sure he will be right up for it and will get his team right up for the game. But for us it is just concentrating on what we need to do as a team and not concentrating on individuals.”

Dalglish was named as an influence by Henderson who captained his country in their last game, a dire 0-0 draw in Slovenia that probably offers the biggest crumb of hope for the most optimistic of Tartan Army footsoldiers doe a deering their way along the Thames. He once again sat alongside Gareth Southgate as the pair addressed the media from the grand surroundings of St George’s Park.

Wayne Rooney will return to the England first team this evening to take the armband off him but it is not a reflection on a man in his prime. At just 26 he will get his 31st cap for England in an era that has been notoriously swamped with players in his position from Steven Gerrard to Frank Lampard. While his footballing attributes have played their part, so to have the mental strengths and leadership qualities that not only led him to the Liverpool captaincy but thrust him into the heart of Southgate’s England set-up.

“I have had a lot of inspirations in my life, my dad from a young age,” said Henderson. “Kevin Ball in terms of discipline and leadership. When I was in the youth team was very good, not only for me but the team. He played a big part. But I have worked under some great leaders and captain, and managers obviously, Gareth, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Jurgen Klopp, all captain of the team leader. Stuart Pearce. I could probably name a few more if I have forgotten anyone. Kenny Dalglish. I have worked under a lot of leaders and all of them have helped me improve as a player and as a person.

“I think to be a leader there is something inside you as a person but you can also improve on leadership qualities and learn and that is something I try to do. I feel as though throughout my life I have tried to set an example and tried to lead by example but at the same time I can improve on a lot of things there are a lot of things I can do better. I can work on things I can help my team mates with and there are always things I can do to improve.”

Henderson, like most of his team-mates, has little to no comprehension of what awaits them this evening in a competitive England against Scotland match. In fairness, he was only nine the last time it happened. He revealed he and his fellow countrymen have been watching videos and clips of games gone by to get in the mood, and insists the sense of occasion will not be lost on the England squad, or distract them from the task in hand of taking three must-needed points.

“We will certainly be up for the game, we know the importance but it is important to control and channel the emotion because it is a huge game. But I am sure we have the right players,” he said.

“Obviously it's a massive game. England-Scotland has history, it's huge. It isn't just a normal fixture. We watched a video of a lot of the past games, a lot of them were before my time but a few I remember - especially the one where Gazza scored that brilliant goal in Euro 96. It was a really big moment, not just for England-Scotland but England in general.

"The lads know the importance of this game, not only because it's England-Scotland but because we want to qualify for Russia the best we can.”