‘Massive player’: BBC pundit reacts to suggestion Barkley’s better than Liverpool star

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Robbie Savage has defended Jordan Henderson on 606 (10/10/20 at 7:40 pm) after it was suggested by a rival supporter that he’s not England standard.

It was also suggested by the rival supporter that someone like Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley, who is on-loan from Chelsea, is a better player than Liverpool’s leader in the middle, but Savage wasn’t having any of that.

Henderson has been a revelation for the Reds during these past two seasons by helping the club lift the Champions League and the Premier League.

When a rival supporter rang up on 606 to question Henderson as an England player, former Premier League midfielder Savage shared why Liverpool’s captain should be respected more.

“A team is made up of lots of talented players but you need players in the side like Jordan Henderson,” Savage told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Where he has got to in his career, I take my hat off to him. Immense. Lifted the Champions League and lifted the Premier League. There are more talented players, yes than Jordan Henderson.

“But his work ethic. Liverpool have missed him, by the way. They have missed their captain. They have missed him massively. For me, it just goes to show what a massive player he is. So, for all those talented players around you. You need someone like Jordan Henderson in the side.

On being told that Henderson’s not at the standard of Barkley: “He’s done that well that Frank Lampard was like you know what surplus to requirements at Chelsea,” Savage responded. ”And now he’s gone to Aston Villa.

“But surely if Barkley was performing to the standard his ability allows him to then he would be in Chelsea’s team on a regular basis.”

Henderson’s career at Anfield needed a fair bit of time to get going, but last season, he managed to achieve what many great Liverpool players couldn’t and that is guide the club to their first English top-flight title in three decades.

A lot was made of Liverpool’s ‘monster mentality’ last season, where they would leave it to the dying moments to win a game, and someone of Henderson’s character defines that.

If Klopp the manager and coach could transform himself into a player then he perhaps would be someone like Henderson, who clearly doesn’t get the respect that he deserves.