‘He’s Milner’s little brother’: Merson claims Liverpool star was being ‘pushed out’ by £39m ace

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Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has been tipped to win Player of the Season.

Paul Merson praised Jordan Henderson for becoming undroppable because he feels that he was being ‘pushed out’ after Liverpool decided to sign Fabinho last season.

Speaking on The Debate on Sky Sports Premier League (03/02/2020 at 10:55 pm), Merson lauded Henderson for his performances this term, as he described him as ‘Milner’s little brother’ but dismissed the thought of him becoming Player of the Season.

“I think he’s done great because I think he was being pushed out of the team,” Merson told The Debate. “I thought when Fabinho come, I thought he was going to get pushed out. I just think he’s taken his chance.

“I think Klopp’s been fortunate. The only time he has been is that this lad has got back in and gone ‘you know what, I want to be in this team and I want to play’. And I think he has been hard to drop.

“Would I give him the Player of the Year? I think he has got some big goals. He always turns up in the big games and he’s put good balls in at times. I think the goalkeeper is different class. Van Dijk. The two fullbacks you can easily vote for them. Mane would have walked it if he didn’t get injured.

“Fabinho if he doesn’t play he’s their biggest miss, in my opinion. I think he [Henderson] would be fortunate to win it, but fair play to him if he does – he’s Milner’s little brother. You know what you’re getting every week. He’s a 7/8 out of 10.”

Fabinho signed for Liverpool during the summer of 2018 when the Merseyside club paid French club Monaco £39 million for his services, as reported by BBC Sport.

Despite getting off to a slow start in England’s top-flight, the Brazilian can now perhaps describe himself as the best number six in the business.

With Fabinho deploying that holding role Henderson has played as a number eight and has just been getting better and better and better.

If there ever was a player that described Jurgen Klopp as a man or manager on the field of play then Henderson would that individual.

During Fabinho’s time in the treatment room, one of the reasons why soon-to-be Premier League champion didn’t miss their anchorman in the middle of the park was because Henderson stepped up and produced the goods in his absence.