The rise and rise of Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson

In football, the true value of a player is judged, not by the number of goals he scores or the tackles he makes or the number of saves he manages. The impact he manages to create as a whole is a much more worthy measure for judgement of his game and in that sense Liverpool must be basking in the glory of Jordan Henderson, affectionately called Hendo by the Liverpool fans, for the effect he has managed to create on the field.

Jordan Henderson has finally come of age.

Henderson was bought from Sunderland at a price of $16m, something which most of the fans at Anfield believed to be too high for a largely untested and unproven player of his calibre. He himself did nothing much to help his cause. A few rusty performances saw him soon being relegated to the bench and an usual late substitute. The fact that he was a midfielder which boasted of players like of Lucas Leiva, Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard made it even harder for him to cement a spot for himself. However, Kuyt has left, Lucas in no more a regular and with new signings over the past two seasons, Henderson, found himself with a new opportunity to prove his worth which he grabbed with both hands. 5 goals last season besides playing a flexible role of defender cum midfielder, feisty tackles and accurate, sensible passing soon saw him become a regular starter in the side last season and he has played every minute in Liverpool’s successful season start this season so far.

Brendan Rodgers couldn’t have forgiven himself had he gone ahead with the proposed transfer of Henderson in the 2012-13 summer transfer window. There were talks about his moving him to Fulham, when Rodgers took charge of Liverpool. Henderson was left shocked and reeling in despair when he was told about a possible transfer, but his ego kept aside and anxious to prove his worth, he conveyed that he wanted to stay and show his mettle. Not only did he succeed in winning over the manager and the fans, but he did it with some vim and vigour.

Lets talk about this season and the games Liverpool has played so far. In the season opener, he was at his best, supporting Gerrard right and left and the number of passes and attacks Liverpool managed against Stoke is an indicator of that. Further, in the second half of the match against United, under a reeling attack for an equalizer, Henderson was asked to support the faltering defence and he managed to do that with conviction. Three perfect tackles, two of them outside the penalty box along with three clearings in the defensive half demonstrated how well he has adapted to the flexible role he has been assigned. Even in the away game against his former club Sunderland where Liverpool won 3-1, he presented a flawless performance creating opportunities for attackers Suarez and Sturridge to go on a goal scoring spree.

In the words of coach Brendon Rodgers,” Big matches bring with them, added pressure, where along with talent, other essential qualities are required. Henderson brings an extra element of energy into the squad. He chases every ball, tirelessly down his channel, maintains the position perfectly and most importantly maintains an admirable level of concentration throughout the game.”

But it is not just his energy that is infectious. He brings lot more to the table. He has an excellent control with his short, crisp, accurate passing game, is good on the flanks for the long crosses and has the ability to be present in a goal scoring position whenever possible. He is a cool customer and maintains his calm and composure. In a lot of ways, he is like his idol Steven Gerrard, the ideal teammate and an excellent footballer.

Still, he is no Robben or Zidane or even a Gerrard in the midfield. He does not have the individual brilliance of Messi or Ronaldo. But, Jordan Henderson with his own individuality has proven to be a man worthy of taking the field for the REDS every time. He has not got that on a plate though. It has been hard work and he has had to prove his true quality. Though not all the Liverpool fans are still sure about his spot within the team with him, but he is slowly yet surely winning the hearts of the fans at Anfield. He also has the hand of the coach on his head and if he continues to progress like this, soon there will come a day where Jordan Henderson would replace Steven Gerrard in the heart of the Liverpool midfield and he would have earned it.