Jordan Henderson has been at the heart of everything this team has done well this season.
That isn’t to say others haven’t as well, though. It has been an incredible team effort so far which is why it is easy to understand why the impact the captain is having is often overlooked.
He has been outstanding in central midfield and his importance to Jurgen Klopp’s side was demonstrated by how much he was missed in the disappointing 2-2 defeat against Sunderland.
Former Reds striker Neil Mellor has hailed the skipper for his role and the work he does to help out the attacking stars ahead of him.
In his column for the Liverpool Echo, he said: “You have to give Jordan Henderson a great deal of credit this season in adapting so well to a new role.”
“I think he’s been outstanding for Liverpool and he’s a very important player for the team. His attitude is spot on and sometimes the work he does for the team can go a little unnoticed.”
“We’ve spoken about that front three of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane so many times this season but they’ve been allowed to have that flexibility of movement because of that protection in behind from Jordan Henderson.”
“Liverpool’s defence in the last five, six, seven games has limited opposition to very few opportunities at goal and I think Henderson has been a big part of that.”
Henderson has been the Premier League’s front-runner in passing statistics for most of the season and has become the level-headed midfield general that Klopp has required.
He plays as the kind of leader that makes him worthy of wearing the armband and has contributed to every aspect of his side’s play. His urgency and forward thinking has seen him initiate attacks all season long while his energy and work rate has made him a key figure in this side’s defensive work.
As great as it is to see him finally getting the credit he deserves, he won’t stop for one second to care about how well people think he is playing. He wants Liverpool to win and that is it.