Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is changing the perceptions of outsiders at the World Cup and many Liverpool fans know it is about time!
There’s the one about him always passing backwards or sideways. And there’s the one about him not being able to tackle or press or whatever. Another is dead set on him being overrated – which is mad when he gets very little love outside of 50% of Anfield.
Thankfully all these myths about Jordan Henderson are beginning to fall away as the rest of the world see his quality as he leads the England midfield at the World Cup.
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His passing has always been at the top-level. While Sergio Busquets and Andrea Pirlo get lauded for keeping possession Henderson gets stick for not threading pin point through balls every five minutes. Liverpool fans look back with misty eyes to Xabi Alonso pinging the ball wide to fullbacks. Hendo does that every game.
He is currently the best and most technically adept midfielder for England. That is not a high bar. Eric Dier’s woeful performance against Belgium highlighted that. However he has earned the trust of Jurgen Klopp, Brendan Rodgers and Kenny Dalglish as a man who can be trusted with the ball.
Klopp likes quick incisive passing – Henderson can do that. Rodgers liked patient, high possession football – he can do that too. Dalglish – a man who knows a thing or two about exceptional technique – believed in him enough to sign him for a huge fee at the time.
Those still harboring suspicions about the Liverpool captain may point to Tunisia and Panama as low-level opposition. As someone who has watched every minute of his Anfield career one of my frustrations with him has been how he hasn’t dominated weaker sides. He has been exceptional in big games; hopefully England fans will see that in this tournament.
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An excellent Champions League run from Henderson followed by World Cup distinction has become too much for the haters to ignore. Perhaps Liverpool fans can feel as good about the captain who has 280 appearances for the Reds as much as they have for the incoming Fabinho and Naby Keita.