Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has become indispendable for the Reds of Jurgen Klopp even if his time at Anfield hasn’t been without criticism.
BBC Sport pundit and Liverpool cult hero Danny Murphy has spoken highly of Jordan Henderson, describing the Reds midfielder as someone who “does not have to worry about his place any more” within the Anfield first-team squad (BBC Sport).
Henderson has been at Liverpool since 2011, when he joined from Sunderland, but his time at Anfield has not been without criticism, even as early as last March when some Reds fans slated his performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
After being switched from a holding role to a more upfield position by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, however, Henderson started earning more plaudits, prompting the manager to state in April that it was his fault the player was deployed further back and admitting he did in fact prefer the number eight role (talkSPORT).
Fast-forward a few weeks and Henderson became only the fifth captain in the club’s history to lift the European Cup after the Reds saw off Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final, while this term, the midfielder added the FIFA Club World Cup to his CV and could soon be able to call himself a Premier League-winning captain too.
Murphy believes that playing alongside Steven Gerrard between 2011 and 2015 made life difficult for Henderson, but since then, people have finally begun seeing the Sunderland-born man’s own qualities.
In addition, Klopp arriving and putting his own stamp on the team, plus Henderson’s own hard work and development, have all culminated in the 29-year-old becoming the “complete midfielder” and a key asset for the Anfield side.
“Playing alongside Gerrard at first was not very helpful because when you are around one of the best midfielders there has ever been, you are never going to look as good as him,” Murphy wrote on BBC Sport.
“It is only since Gerrard left in 2015, and the team started evolving under Jurgen Klopp, that people have been able to see Henderson’s own qualities. At 29, he has grown into a complete midfielder, and is a fantastic example of someone making the absolute maximum out of their ability.
“Henderson does not have to worry about his place any more, because he plays such a vital role in this Liverpool side.”
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