Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, suggesting that he has done the “most difficult job in 500 years of football”.
The 28-year-old made a huge impact during the 3-1 win over Southampton on Friday evening, and even managed to score the third.
As quoted in the Telegraph, Klopp said: “Hendo, from my point of view, is a brilliant player. He’s our skipper, he’s a fantastic character.
“If I had to write a book about Hendo, it would be 500 pages. So I’m very positive. The most difficult job in the last 500 years of football was to replace Steven Gerrard. In the mind of the people it was like if it’s not Stevie, then it’s not good enough.
“And he has dealt with that outstandingly well so he can be really proud. Now we have to think of the future and he is a very important part of our team.”
OPINION
Henderson is a real unsung hero for this Liverpool side. He doesn’t always score or assist as much as you might expect him to, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t put in the hard graft, and his contribution on Friday night was breathtaking. The difference in Liverpool when he was introduced was noticeable, and Klopp must have been delight with the manner in which he elevated all of those around him. He might not start every game between now and the end of the season, but if he puts in the same gargantuan effort that he did on Friday, he will go a long way towards helping Liverpool to a first league title in 29 years. Henderson is a leader, and he showed that once again against the Saints with the kind of irrepressible, passionate performance that will hopefully inspire those around him to follow by his massive example. It’s also worth noting Klopp was right to claim that Henderson was handed a difficult job to succeed Steven Gerrard at the Reds, as the Liverpool legend borders on being untouchable.
