Jordan Henderson’s career at Liverpool has not been without its struggles and criticism, but through adversity a fearless leader has emerged who etched his name in history.
This is a team full of legends. It almost feels like we have too many and the credibility of the term is compromised by sheer volume, but after all they’ve accomplished, it’s a group of players who have really cemented their position among the greats.
No matter where you choose to draw that line, Henderson is a true Liverpool Football Club legend. The club’s current longest-serving player has broken new ground as captain and etched his name in history.
In Paris, he became the first Englishman to captain a team to three European Cup finals, and having extended his stay at Anfield until 2025, it would take a brave man to bet against him and add to that tally before it was over. run the race
However, it would be inaccurate to state that his days at Liverpool have been smooth sailing. Henderson came to the club as part of a Kenny Dalglish-led rebuild in 2011 for £20m, a healthy sum even with today’s money.
He had his doubts at the time, and in truth, they never fully dissipated. He took lazy criticism for lateral passing and was written off, written off as limited before his career had time to get any real momentum.
In 2012, Brendan Rodgers tried to use Henderson as a fake weight in a deal for Clint Dempsey, but the Sunderland-born midfielder stuck to his guns and just three years later was named club captain, succeeding Steven Gerrard. Even then eyebrows were raised.
The weight of the bracelet.
His tenure as captain has surpassed anyone’s wildest dreams.
The biggest shoe needed to be filled when Henderson took the armband in 2015. Still, comparing the position the club found itself in at the time with where it currently resides, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Liverpool captain who has overseen a better period.
Having done the pigeon steps with all the club’s trophies in his hands, where does Henderson rank among the all-time great Liverpool captains?
Even the most optimistic of Liverpool supporters would have had trouble imagining a period of glory like the one Henderson has overseen as leader.
During that time he has been an integral part of everything that has made Liverpool the success story that it is. Jurgen Klopp said it himself:
“Nothing we accomplished in the last few years would have happened without him, that’s easy to say.”
Five men have lifted the European Cup as captain in a Liverpool shirt, and Jordan Henderson belongs to that company.
influential in football
On the pitch and in the locker room, the man has been exemplary, but his work as a public figure is what has set him apart from the rest. Henderson is always on the right side of morality when it comes to fundamental issues, acting fervently in support of the LGBT community and anti-bullying groups, as well as carrying out extensive charity work.
He also acted as unofficial Premier League captain amid Super League proposals in April 2021.
Burnley skipper Ben Mee explained how Henderson brought his teammates together, saying: “You know things are serious when Jordan Henderson sends a message to the Premier League captains’ WhatsApp group.” This is a man clearly respected by both his counterparts and his teammates.
Henderson’s importance in perhaps the most grueling season in club history is unquestionable.
It turned out 57 times for the Reds in 2021/22, a season in which Liverpool went all the way on all fronts, a season in which we came within 180 minutes of winning the lot. Not only was he more than any other player on the team, but he is also the most player to appear on a Klopp-led team over the course of a season.
That influence has always been there, even as a developing midfielder. Henderson was sent off late in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester City during the title race in 2014, an incident Rodgers attributes more importance to than Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip-up 14 days later.
Lingering seeds of doubt
If every one of his managers and peers can appreciate the impact Henderson brings to the table, where do the occasional waves of criticism come from?
Liverpool’s unflattering start to 2022/23 was always likely to attract scapegoats, and this time around there have been plenty.
The modern football fan is as fickle as they come, and frustrations related to the club’s failure to sign a permanent midfielder in the summer have been exacerbated by early heavy reliance on older statesmen like Henderson and James Milner. .
There have been examples in the past of Henderson playing through the pain barrier when his colleagues needed him, as seen against Barcelona when a knee injury required painkiller injections, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it became known that this was a contributing factor to his own struggles earlier in the season.
Players with a mindset and temperament as strong as yours don’t become bad players overnight. Take Goodison Park last December as a paradigm of what man is still capable of at the peak of his powers.
Doubt is something that has haunted him his entire career, and something that fueled his success and continues to drive him every season.
It’s a sad state of affairs, but in the coming seasons we will see every member of this great Liverpool team leave for new pastures or hang up their boots altogether, such is the natural cycle of football.
Few, if any, will receive the sendoff that Jordan Henderson will receive. His is perhaps the best story of all. He began to fight for his place in the club, then became a patron and won the lot.
With three years remaining on his current contract, there is still plenty of time to carve out further success for himself and the club, and he will no doubt continue to play a vital role on and off the pitch.
We are incredibly lucky to have this group of players and this captain, and although the road will not always be easy, it is always worth remembering.
