Former Premier League winner Martin Keown has raved about Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson after his performance against Southampton last Friday.
The England international came off the bench to score one and set up another as he turned the game in the visitor’s favour at St Mary’s Stadium. Keown was blown away by the 28-year-old.
“Liverpool’s midfield may never be as good as it was when Steven Gerrard was in it, but you can see Jordan Henderson learned from the master,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“At Southampton on Friday, Henderson was brought off the bench at 1-1. He then proceeded to provide an assist for Mohamed Salah and score the third in a 3-1 win which sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League.
“Jurgen Klopp deserves credit for not only that substitution but for the way he has managed Henderson and coaxed these performances out of the midfielder. Henderson, who played alongside Gerrard 135 times in all competitions, stood up for his team when they needed him most. If Liverpool go on to win the league, people will talk about that comeback at St Mary’s. Henderson’s contribution could prove priceless.”
OPINION
Keown gets his verdict spot on, here. Henderson isn’t the player Gerrard was, particularly going forward, but he has certainly picked up some of the Liverpool legend’s leadership qualities. We saw that on Friday. He entered the game at a pivotal moment and drove his side forward. He galvanised the Reds and ensured that they would come out on top. It was fitting that he bagged the goal that secured the three points for Klopp’s team. That comeback was absolutely crucial to Liverpool’s title hopes and it was Henderson who really pushed them on to secure the win. He is a massively underrated player who comes under fire whenever he doesn’t perform, but is someone who is rarely praised when he does well. It’s nice, then, to see Keown come out and salute the Liverpool skipper after Friday’s display. If Henderson can replicate the performance he delivered on Friday down the stretch this season then he’ll be absolutely crucial to Klopp’s team.
