Jordan Henderson signed for the Reds in a £20 million deal from his boyhood side Sunderland on 9th June 2011. The midfielder was virtually unknown at the time and was brought in to as a backup reinforcement for then Liverpool FC manager Sir Kenny Dalglish and the Reds squad led by the iconic Steven Gerrard.
However, Henderson, who was just 20 years old at the time of his move to Anfield, brought with himself a reputation of being a player with an outstanding work-rate and had been touted for a bright future by FIFA’s list of 13 Young Players to Watch Out For.
Henderson’s nine years at the Merseyside club have not been an easy task by any chance. The midfielder’s most vocal critics accused him of not being able to back up his claim as Steven Gerrard’s successor at Anfield by replicating Gerrard’s individual brilliance on the field.
The Reds supporters have turned on him on many occasions when the team underperformed at any stage of a competition, pointing out his backward passing game was not suitable for Jurgen Klopp’s high intensity counter-attacking tactics. Moreover, Henderson’s lack of flair on the ball, something which is seen in Kevin De Bryne or even Liverpool FC’s own Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, has made many analysts and pundits comment about the English midfielder’s contribution towards the team. Henderson taking the Liverpool FC captain’s armband following Gerrard’s departure put additional pressure on the player to play well and prove his critics wrong.
However, the past two seasons have seen a complete overhaul in the public’s perception of Henderson’s image and how the 29-year old player is a key component of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool FC side. The change in the critical analysis of Henderson is largely due to the overwhelming faith instilled in the player by Klopp and how Henderson’s teammates, both from Liverpool FC and the England national team, have continued to voice their praise for the player.
The first step in Henderson’s positive media outlook came during the Red’s 2017-18 Champions League campaign when the Liverpool FC side reached the finals. Henderson was shown as a vocal leader on and off the pitch, with his performances as a holding midfielder in the lineup proving to be one of the most important roles in his Liverpool FC career.
On their way to the finals of the competition, the Reds secured victories against Premier League rivals Manchester City FC and Italian giants AS Roma. In both ties, Henderson showed immense talent as a hard-tackling midfielder with the ability to switch the play through his spectacular passing range.
Although Liverpool FC fell to a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the final due to Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius’s nightmare performance, Liverpool FC garnered universal praise for their brilliant European campaign that season.
However, after the match, Henderson defended Karius and publicly stated that the blame of the loss fell upon the entire team instead of the young German goalkeeper. The statement made by him was showered with praise by former players such as Steven Gerrard and Terry who expressed their admiration for Henderson’s grit and his will to defend his side’s players amid fierce criticism by the public.
The 2018-19 season saw the Reds finally end their trophyless streak by managing to clinch the Champions League in Madrid with a victory over Tottenham Hotspurs. The trophy presentation following the game saw Henderson perform the now iconic trophy shuffle for the first team when the English international was given the Champions League trophy to lift along with his teammates.
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Shortly afterwards, the Reds went on to win the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, both trophies which Henderson lifted with utter delight. The Liverpool FC side became the first English team to win the International treble in the process. Following the Club World Cup victory, which was the Reds’ third trophy in a calendar year, former Liverpool FC legend John Aldridge stated that Henderson should now be considered among the Liverpool FC greats of all time.
At the start of the 2019-20 Premier League season, Henderson’s aim was clear; to lead his side to their first league title in 30 years. The 2018-19 season had seen the Reds finish second in the Premier League with 97 points, just one point behind title winners Manchester City FC.
Jurgen Klopp had vowed to secure the coveted league title which had been longed for quite a while by the Reds faithful. And the plan seemed to work for the Liverpool FC side. Prior to the suspension of the Premier League due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reds were seated first in the Premier League table, with a 25 point lead over second-placed Manchester City FC. The current campaign has seen the Reds destroy all the competition in the league. Henderson has perhaps enjoyed his best season so far in the Premier League with the player appearing in 22 of the 29 matches played by Liverpool FC this season. The 29-year old has recorded an impressive 87% pass completion rate and has assisted four goals so far in the league.
However, a fact establishing Henderson’s indispensability to the Liverpool FC squad occurred when the Reds captain suffered an injury. In his absence, the Merseyside club went on to lose three out of four games, getting eliminated from the FA Cup and the Champions League cup in the process.
Moreover, the loss suffered by the Liverpool FC side to Watford FC in the Premier League prevented the Reds from becoming only the second side since Arsenal in 2003 04 to clinch the title of ‘Invincibles’ in the history of the Premier League.
Following the shoddy performance of the Reds in these four matches, many publications commented about Henderson’s value to the team and how his absence in the heart of the Reds midfield prevented the Liverpool FC squad to replicate their earlier run of form.
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Fast forward to 2020, when Henderson has completed nine years of faithful service to Liverpool FC, it is no doubt that the English international will be considered as one of the greatest players to appear in the Reds shirt. His leadership would also enable him to be known as one of the greatest captains of Liverpool FC, a statement which has been seconded by Henderson’s predecessor as the Reds captain, Steven Gerrard. Nearing the age of 30, Henderson certainly has a lot more time on his side as a Reds player to continue to win hearts among the Liverpool FC supporters and hopefully get his hands on the Premier League trophy when the competition resumes shortly.
