Jordan Henderson was hailed by Liverpool FC gaffer Jurgen Klopp as the skipper’s encouragement for the 19-year-old Neco Williams during the mid-week victory over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League came into the spotlight.
Williams, who has been the subject of large-scale criticism from Liverpool FC supporters for his recent showings in the Reds shirt, stood out against Ajax with an impressive overall performance, with the Welsh international even setting up fellow Liverpool FC academy graduate Curtis Jones for the winning goal.
According to the Daily Mail, in post-match videos, Henderson was heard voicing words of encouragement for the teenage full-back over the course of the match at Anfield, and Klopp was quite generous in his praise for his star midfielder, applauding Henderson’s ability to rally out his under-fire teammates.
‘He is just a smart, thoughtful, caring person. A leader as well and you saw that in the summer when there were some issues with the players and they needed to find a solution and he was maybe the voice of the group (spearheading the Players’ Together initiative to raise money for the NHS).
‘Of course for a young boy it is important to have feedback on the pitch because it calms you down in some situations and boosts you in others. It is a very important role.
‘It would not be fair to mention only Hendo to be honest; on the pitch he is probably the one you hear the loudest but we have a lot of players who help the young kids and that is necessary.
‘I don’t sit with them in the dressing room during the week – there is a lot of time to talk the wrong stuff but they can also talk the right stuff and our experienced players are the perfect role models and that makes it easier.’
