Henry Winter: Jordan Henderson's time is now
As Jordan Henderson prepares to captain Liverpool in the Champions League final with Real Madrid tonight, Henry Winter from The Times explains how the midfielder emerged as the team's leader on and off the pitch...
From staring down Diego Costa to standing up to Daniele De Rossi, Jordan Henderson is so passionate about the Liverpool cause that he even pays attention to the little things off the pitch too, such as going out of his way to greet visitors to the club’s serene training camp in Marbella in the build-up to Kiev.
I was sitting on the terrace, having just completed an interview, when Henderson wandered over for a few words. I admired the new sunglasses he’d just gone out and bought with James Milner. We chatted briefly about Real Madrid, whether their defence can be got at, and he asked about my travel plans for Kiev, and mentioned how difficult the journey was for fans but that he knew they would be there in their usual numbers.
Typical Henderson. Polite and thinking about others. Whenever I’ve interviewed Henderson down the years, he’s always enthusiastic company but much happier talking about other people than himself. He’s self-deprecating, modest, free of ego but with a ready sense of humour. It is easy to see why he is so popular amongst teammates.
He’s tougher than perceived, and clearly determined as he showed when fighting back from the prospect of being loaned out early in his Liverpool career, when finally beginning to step out of Steven Gerrard’s long shadow, and shaking off injuries and criticism. Henderson wasn’t even captain when reminding Costa in 2015 that the then-Chelsea striker couldn’t intimidate Liverpool’s younger players. Henderson’s always been a leader.
He cares deeply about Liverpool and the club being seen in the right light. Accompanying Mo Salah to the PFA awards, Henderson made sure he went over to the FA table to congratulate some of the youth-team coaches like Steve Cooper, formerly of the Liverpool Academy, on their successes. Henderson and Salah also crossed the room to see a young Aston Villa fan in a wheelchair. As ambassadors for a club, they’re outstanding. Hungry on the pitch, humble off it.
It’s one of the reasons why the armband fits so comfortably on Henderson’s left bicep. Liverpool fans know this but to appreciate Henderson properly it is important to see the small details that add up to make him the man, player and leader of substance that he has become. There is no one headline quality that defines Henderson, just many traits that are only now coming into sharp focus.
In this second half of the season, as Liverpool hunt glory, Henderson has shaken off the injuries and is at his prime, at 27, with his game more all-round and admired. Again it is the little things that build up into a strong force, the first-time passes under pressure, some incredibly creative deliveries splitting defences. It is the relentless pressing that would make lesser men yield, gasping for breath, that makes Henderson such an important figure for Jürgen Klopp.
It is the increased self-belief, hounding Roma’s vaunted midfield so much at Anfield that De Rossi got taken off. It is the selflessness to put in the hard yards, to win the ball for others, to be the strong, steadying presence in a savage part of the field and build a platform for Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Liverpool’s captain allows the front three to thrive safe in the knowledge that they have a warrior behind them, guarding against breakaways should they lose the ball. They play without fear because of their own attacking nature and because they trust the man behind them.
Henderson willingly sacrifices himself for the team. He could play higher up the pitch, running through or bringing his shooting capacity to bear. Rewind to seasons past and recall games against Norwich City and an unstoppable half-volley, a dipping shot over Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois and a gem against Manchester City, two touches with his left, another with his right, and then again the right curling the ball around Vincent Kompany and a diving Joe Hart. Henderson has the ability to score more, one goal (against Leicester) in 40 appearances this season is insufficient but reflects his midfield work allowing others to express their own talents. He has no ego, thinking only of what’s best for the team.
Henderson has traditionally been described as “honest and hard-working” but he’s so much more than a water-carrier. As Henderson headed back to his room in Marbella, I wished him luck in Kiev. But luck doesn’t really exist in football. It’s about persistence, never giving up, giving everything for the team, and Henderson does all of that. He’s a good man, a very good player, and his time, finally, is now.