NOT many captains get to perfect their trophy-lifting routine, but Jordan Henderson got this opportunity in 2019. Indeed, his method is almost iconic, teasing the silverware to his Liverpool teammates with his back to everyone else first before twinkling his toes in anticipation and thrusting the prize up into the air as he spins round.
Henderson got to celebrate in this way for the third time in a year on Saturday, lifting the Club World Cup after a hard-fought extra-time victory over Flamengo following triumphs in both the Champions League and the European Super Cup. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah might be the headline grabbers of this Liverpool side, but Henderson has become the face of their recent success.
Of course, it’s not so long ago that the 29-year-old faced questions over his place at Anfield. Even as Liverpool thrived under Klopp, Henderson wasn’t guaranteed of his spot in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. When the Reds faced Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals last season, for instance, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Georginio Wijnaldum were all favoured over the England international.
| #LFC v Barcelona: Alisson, Gomez, Matip, van Dijk; Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita; Mané, Salah.
Henderson dropped! Keita on the wing in a 4-4-2? Or is he playing False 9 with three in midfield? Interesting team news, to say the least! pic.twitter.com/tfJCI7tMSA
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) May 1, 2019
Since then, though, Henderson has made himself a central pillar of a Liverpool team that looks destined to end their 30-year wait for a league title. Barring an unprecedented collapse, Henderson will get the chance to perform his trophy-lifting routine for the fourth time and the Premier League trophy, given the context, will be the most significant he’s got his hands on so far.
It’s one that Steven Gerrard never managed to lift in his time as a player. As far as Liverpool captains go, he was the most iconic in the club’s modern era, but Henderson has now proved himself as a worthy successor to the great midfielder. He has finally justified Klopp’s decision to hand him the armband.
“If I had to name someone I regarded as the ultimate professional, Jordan would be right at the top of the list,” Gerrard said in an interview given after Liverpool’s Champions League win last season. “He is immaculate in the way he lives his life. Some people don’t see the stuff behind the scenes, the gym work, the way he eats, but he is someone who is an incredible role model. He is selfless. He is someone who puts himself at the back of the queue because he looks after everyone else first. He puts Jordan Henderson last.”
Steven Gerrard on Hendo: "When Jordan lifted the trophy above his head, my first feeling was one of pride."
“Proud that Liverpool were back at the top of European football and especially proud of Jordan because I know how hard he works. I know the sacrifices he has made." pic.twitter.com/BuznPHmj5C
— ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (@LFCTransferNRS) June 4, 2019
As Gerrard hints at, it’s not just in the performances Henderson has put in on the pitch over the past year or so, but in the way he carries himself away from the game. This is a man who has fully embraced what it means to be Liverpool captain, what it means to be the leader of a club which such resonance within its own community.
Henderson has drawn a lot of criticism over the course of his career. Even going back to his days at Sunderland, it was reported that then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson doubted his suitability for the top level, bizarrely focusing on the midfielder’s running style and how he used his knees.
It’s unlikely that the 29-year-old will ever completely silence such doubts, but Klopp has no reason to question his captain. Henderson might not be as individually influential as Gerrard was in his Liverpool peak, but that's largely because he doesn’t need to be. Henderson is surrounded by far better players now than Gerrard ever was.
By the same token, though, Henderson is the epitome of the team he now finds himself an integral part of. His drive and determination is infectious and sets the tone in the dressing room. This is Gerrard-esque. There is a lot about Henderson that is now Gerrard-esque and Klopp recognised that before all else. What he is receiving now is vindication.
