We need to talk about Jordan Henderson.
When he was signed, he was grouped as one of a catalogue of poor signings under Kenny Dalglish. However, after Brendan Rodgers had tried to sell him to Fulham, Henderson showed his quality in the 2013/14 season.
Then came the big step, replacing Steven Gerrard as captain.
It was always a daunting task, but after Jurgen Klopp took over, he steadily became one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League.
His irrepressible energy, his vocal leadership style on the pitch, and his highly underrated passing range are vital to Klopp’s system. Whether he’s playing as a number six or as an eight, Liverpool look better when he’s on the pitch.
When Liverpool need that bit of drive, Henderson is always there. Like Gerrard before him, his teammates look to him.
As well as being a credit to the club off the pitch, Henderson has become one of Liverpool’s most important players on it. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY TEAHUB.IO
The 2018/19 season was the one where he truly came into his own. His commanding performances in midfield saw him win the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award.
From there, of course, one of the best moment of his Liverpool career. The creation of the ‘Hendo shuffle’.
Oh, and of course, the Champions League title as well.
However, it’s not only on the pitch where he has excelled. He brought all of the Premier League captains together to create a fund for the NHS during their fight against the coronavirus. He recently gave his social media accounts to CyberSmileHQ, an organisation committed to fighting against bullying on social media.
Losing Henderson to injury has been a serious blow to Liverpool’s top four hopes. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY ASUMETECH
Finally, of course, there were his actions in the fight against the creation of the super league. First, he organised his fellow Premier League captains to meet to organise a response to the Super League.
Second, he organised a squad-wide social media post against the Super League from his Liverpool teammates. This is a man who has taken his role as a leader for football, not just his club.
For Liverpool to have a man like this take on the captaincy at Anfield to replace Gerrard is incredibly fortunate. Now, we can only hope to see him return before the end of the season and lead the Reds into the top four.
