Jordan Henderson
The midfielder joined the illustrious list of Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Graeme Souness and Steven Gerrard by leading the Reds to Champions League glory in Madrid in June 2019.
That 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur marked Henderson’s fifth appearance in a major final since his arrival at Anfield from hometown club Sunderland in the summer of 2011.
Henderson’s standing at Liverpool was underlined when he became the club’s vice-captain in September 2014, before he then took the armband on a permanent basis in July 2015 following Gerrard’s departure.
A player whose physical, mental and footballing gifts enable an ability to excel in a variety of midfield roles, Henderson has made more than 300 appearances for Liverpool under three different managers.
Following Jürgen Klopp’s arrival in October 2015, the England international was primarily positioned as the Reds’ ‘No.6’, the team’s deepest-lying midfielder.
However, a late-season switch to a more advanced post saw Henderson flourish in the latter stages of a 2018-19 campaign that ended with Liverpool boasting a club-record total of 97 points in the Premier League and the crown of European champions.
- In numbers: Eight years of Jordan Henderson
Speaking in April 2019, Klopp said: “Hendo, from my point of view, is a brilliant player. He’s our skipper, he’s a fantastic character. If I had to write a book about Hendo, it would be 500 pages.
“So I’m very positive. The most difficult job in the last 500 years of football was to replace Steven Gerrard. In the mind of the people it was like if it’s not Stevie, then it’s not good enough.
“And he has dealt with that outstandingly well so he can be really proud. Now we have to think of the future and he is a very important part of our team.”
Henderson signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool in September 2018.
“There is no other place in the world I would rather play football. I want to be here for as long as I can be,” he said after putting pen to paper.
“I’m so privileged to have been a part of this club for so long, and hopefully even longer now.”
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