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#1. Jordan Henderson
While all the plaudits for Liverpool’s extraordinary season are going to their lethal front-three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, only die-hard Reds will go out of the way to highlight captain Jordan Henderson’s unparalleled influence on this team. The 29-year-old, who is absolutely pivotal to Jurgen Klopp’s set-up, has been the heartbeat of this Liverpool side, always on the ball spraying passes left, right and centre.
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Henderson’s command of the game, incredible work ethic and leadership attributes have made him an indispensable character in the Liverpool dressing room. Barring Klopp’s attacking trio, fans and pundits have consistently heaped praise on the Champions League holders’ immaculate defensive four of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, it is Henderson who is yet to receive his share of appreciation week-in week-out for his sensational performances in the middle of midfield.
Klopp might be able to cope without one of his attackers for a period of time or even van Dijk for that matter, but Henderson’s job cannot be replicated by any of his other players. The Sunderland-born midfielder is the go-to man on the pitch, passing and shifting the ball relentlessly, constantly finding the attackers with his long balls and occasionally getting into the box to score the odd goal. Defensively, Henderson does an excellent task of protecting the back four with his box-to-box running, tireless pressing, tenacious tackling and non-stop intercepting.
Throughout his Liverpool career, the Englishman has always been on the receiving end of scrutiny and criticism and had never been highly-rated even by the club’s most loyal supporters. Now in his prime, however, Jordan Henderson has resurrected himself as one of the division’s top central midfielders: passionate, industrious and captain of one of the greatest teams in Premier League history.
