Former Chelsea player Tony Cascarino has heaped praise on Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson.
The 28-year-old is undoubtedly one of the more under-appreciated English players of recent times, and Cascarino feels that he is a vital player for the Reds.
“[Declan] Rice does the ABCs of football – the simple things – really well,” he told talkSPORT. “That’s really what Jordan Henderson has done all his career.
“That has been Henderson’s problem – only die hard Liverpool fans who watch him every week say ‘we’re a better team with Jordan in’. If you don’t score loads of goals or create loads of chances, people will start pointing the finger at you – it’s only natural.”
OPINION
Cascarino is bang on the money here. Henderson is routinely mocked and lambasted as somebody who does very little, produces sideways passes that do nothing to help his team. However, that narrative is outdated and completely false at this point. The Englishman has been a tremendous player for club and country for years now and is vitally important to both teams. His influence for the Three Lions was seen at the World Cup in Russia last summer. When he was rested for the final group game against Belgium, and Eric Dier started in his place, you could see the difference. The Liverpool captain is far more dynamic than he is given credit for, while his leadership is absolutely vital for both the Reds and for England. He is a top drawer player and he performs his role very well. Sooner or later the masses will begin to realise his immense quality.
