JORDAN HENDERSON has revealed that Liverpool and Spurs' England stars have set a self-imposed ban on contacting each other before the Champions League final.
The Reds skipper is one of nine players from the Madrid showpiece who have also been named in the preliminary squad for the Nations League the following weekend.
The 28-year-old forms Gareth Southgate's Anfield trio alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, while Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks have also been included from Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Henderson revealed that congratulatory texts were exchanged after both domestic rivals performed stunning semi-final comebacks against Barcelona and Ajax.
However, the former Sunderland star stressed that any friendships between the Premier League teams have now been put firmly on hold until after the final.
He said: "We've not had any banter, no – not really!
I'm sure we will speak again after the game but until then we'll keep our distance. There won't be any banter
"I had a text of a couple of them after the Barcelona game saying congratulations and I returned the favour when they went through against Ajax.
“It was just sort of congratulations, see you in a few weeks' kind of thing and that was about it.
“I'm sure we will speak after the game when it's all finished but until then it's best that we probably keep our distance because they can end our dream and we can end theirs!”
One of Henderson's international teammates Kane faces a race-against-time to be fit for the crunch clash, with Graeme Souness fearing he could "break down" if he plays.
Writing in his Sunday Times column, the Scot said: "Harry Kane strikes me as the type who may need to be protected from himself when it comes to deciding whether he is fit for the Champions League final.
"It’s a complicated call for Mauricio Pochettino, his manager, to make before a match that could be career-defining for them both.
"How many Champions League finals do you get to play in? Kane will be desperate to feature and the club will be desperate to have him there, but they must also consider the long term, as this is a recurring injury, and he might break down on Saturday night if he is not ready to return yet.
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