Liverpool’s Premier League-winning captain Jordan Henderson has made quite the splash in the Eredivisie but not every one is convinced of the virtues of Ajax’s marquee January signing.
Then again, perhaps a slow start was to be expected.
Jordan Henderson, after all, had spent the last few months playing in front of crowds more reminiscent of a Sunday morning golf course than a leading football stadium over in Saudi Arabia. It may take some time to get up to speed again in European football, albeit in one of the continent’s B-list leagues.
But amid all the excitement that has greeted the Liverpool icon’s unexpected arrival in Dutch football – his is reportedly the fastest selling shirt in Ajax’s storied history already – it’s fair to say Willem van Hanegem is yet to be convinced on the back of a difficult Eredivisie debut against PSV Eindhoven last weekend.
Slow start for Liverpool icon at Ajax
“Should I, like everyone else on television, say that he is so good before I have seen him play?,” Van Hanegem, a former Netherlands international, tells Algemeen Dagblad, mocking those who assume Henderson will be a transformative addition merely because of his reputation.
“He is just a very mediocre player. That’s all he is. It wasn’t that special what he showed against PSV, was it? Come on now.”
There were, it must be said, a few trademark Henderson passes as Ajax held runaway leaders PSV to a 1-1 draw at the Johan Cruyff Arena. For the remainder of his 90-plus minutes on the pitch, however, the England international was left chasing shadows by a younger, more dynamic PSV midfield.
Opinions split over Jordan Henderson
“It is typically Dutch to immediately judge what someone brings,” counters Philipp Cocu, the former Barcelona ace hitting back at those – like Van Hanegem – doubting Henderson’s qualities after just one game against by far the best team in the land.
“You have to judge him on the type of player he is. He was brought in with certain qualities and he brings them to the team.”
“He did his job,” adds Dutch legend Marco van Basten, Henderson’s reliability, experience and composure potentially invaluable in a young and sometimes error-prone Ajax engine room.
“The fact that you have a midfielder in your team who does not make a mistake, plays the ball to the right colour shirt and does his defensive duties well, that makes a difference for the others. You hold each other together.
“That helps the team, without a doubt.”
Henderson could make his second Ajax appearance away to Heerenveen this weekend.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
