Liverpool's England skipper Jordan Henderson is full of praise for Dejan Lovren ahead of tonight's World Cup semifinal with Croatia.

Henderson admits he's spoken to England's strikers about facing his Reds teammate.

He said, “I'll speak to the forwards and tell them what I think but Dejan's a fantastic defender.

“He had his fair share of criticism but he's done so well over the last six months, especially after the start of the season, he bounced back so well.

“He's got everything: he's aggressive, good in the air, good on the ball, a real leader as well, always talking. I'm so pleased for him, he's a great person, great character but hopefully this journey ends for him."