Jordan Henderson assesses his first season as Liverpool captain

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Henderson had an injury-hit campaign after being handed the armband following Steven Gerrard’s departure.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen in action with Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has admitted it felt hard to feel like the club’s skipper at times last season, purely because he wasn’t fit enough to play.

Henderson was handed the armband following the departure of Steven Gerrard to LA Galaxy, but a persistent heel injury in the early part of last season, followed by a knee injury in the closing stages meant that he was unable to play as much as he would’ve liked.

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and James Milner applaud fans after the game

He told the Liverpool Echo: “I couldn’t help on the pitch as I wanted to and so Milly (James Milner), as vice-captain, had to take the role on.

“It was a very difficult time and I was down. There were a lot of things going through my head and though there was never a time when I didn’t want the captaincy or doubted whether I was the right man for it, there were times when it was hard to feel like the captain because I wasn’t contributing on the pitch.

“I feel as though I’ve come through that now.”

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson celebrates after the match

Henderson still has his detractors and has a lot of fans to win over – which has been pretty much the story of his Liverpool career. Some doubt his ability to be in the team in the first place, and some bring up whether he is a suitable character to wear the captain’s armband.

It was always going to be a difficult job to take over the captaincy from someone of Steven Gerrard’s calibre – and the injuries evidently didn’t help, as it was clear the Reds were not getting the best out of him as a result.

This is a big season for Henderson. For many he will be a scapegoat – there will be just some fans he can’t win over – but the only thing he can do his keep his head down and work hard. Good performances are the only thing that can silence his critics, and as far as the captain’s role goes, he just has to show he can be a leader – but in his own way.

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson in action with Burnley’s Scott Arfield