Danny Murphy directly compared Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson with Tottenham star Eric Dier when analysing who England should play as their holding midfielder at the World Cup.
The BBC pundit listed several reasons why Henderson, whose current contract gets him £100,000-a-week (Source: Total Sportek), was the better player in that position.
While Murphy suggested that perhaps while Dier is the better passer of the ball and can drop into the defence easier than Henderson can, he’d still give the edge to the Reds star when it comes to playing in the World Cup this summer.
“If you’re going to play one, I’d play Henderson all day because of his athleticism,” said the pundit to ESPN.
“He’s quicker than Dier, he gets about more, he gets his foot in.
“Dier gets his foot in but Henderson has that pace to recover, Dier’s recovery runs aren’t as good as Henderson’s.
“Maybe you could argue Dier’s a better passer or can drop in as a centre-half but I just think against a good side or quick side, you’d want a central midfielder sitting who’s got legs.”
OPINION
Murphy clearly favours what Henderson brings to the table over Dier when it comes to a holding midfielder. It’s an interesting comparison to make between the two players currently rivalling each other for a place in England’s starting line-up, but it doesn’t seem as clear cut as Murphy makes it out to be. Dier was impressive in a lot of the 46 appearances he made for Spurs in his latest campaign and the ability to drop in as a centre-half could prove vital against the more dangerous teams in the international tournament. Henderson, for all his qualities, doesn’t seem like he’ll naturally be able to slot into his nation’s defence if a club really forces England to defend with their backs against the wall. However in the games where Gareth Southgate knows his side should see the majority of the ball then Henderson is the obvious right choice. The Reds midfielder will be able to drive his nation forward and hopefully help them get some positive results.
