Programme notes'The preparation, focus and ability of those coming off the bench strikes me'
Jordan Henderson has lauded the desire of Liverpool’s substitutes on matchday to make an impact and put the club’s interests before their own.
Contributions off the bench last week helped the Reds pick up important victories in tricky fixtures at Internazionale and against Norwich City.
And in his column in the matchday programme for the Leeds United contest, Henderson stressed the need for that to continue between now and the end of May.
Inside Anfield: Liverpool 3-1 Norwich City
The captain writes: “Plenty of nice things have been said about the strength of our squad in recent weeks, which is something I’m definitely not going to complain about.
“While we’re in the midst of a particularly hectic period we don’t need any reminders about the need for every single one of us to contribute whenever the opportunity arises.
“There have been plenty of good examples of players coming into the team or coming off the bench to make a difference in our last few games and this is credit to the lads themselves and also to the staff for keeping all of us on our toes.
“Whether you’re starting, substitute, training or injured, your main responsibility never changes and that is do your very best for yourself and for Liverpool Football Club.
“That is the only attitude we can have. Yes, there will be times when individually we might wish our form could be better, but that can never be because we’re not giving 100 per cent in everything we do.
“I’ve been in the game long enough to know that you will have highs and lows, that there will be periods when you will be at your best and times when you know you can do better. But as long as the commitment is there it’s unlikely that you will go too far wrong.
“So when players have come on in games lately and helped the team – as was the case away to Internazionale and at home to Norwich at the weekend – it’s not their quality that should stand out because they are Liverpool players after all.
“It is their preparation, their focus, their willingness to put the team first and their ability to contribute in matches when they haven’t started that strikes me. And the big thing is we are going to need this to be the norm from now until the end of the season.
“Every single one of us has a part to play. We are still involved in four competitions and although this will be reduced to three after Sunday whether or not we win the Carabao Cup, the sheer volume of fixtures will continue to put us to the test week in and week out.”
