Former Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli has praised midfielder Jordan Henderson, after revealing he was initially judged as a transfer mistake before he established himself as a key figure at Anfield.
Henderson arrived at Liverpool from Sunderland in the summer of 2011 and took a while to grow into the vital role he now has in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, with the England international helping the Reds reach a second successive Champions League final this season.
The 28-year-old has been an excellent servant at Anfield making 239 appearances for Liverpool in his time with the club, but Comolli has revealed that when he was sacked from his role as the club’s director of football in 2012, he was Henderson was a mistaken signing, but he remains adamant the signing was not a mistake.
“I remember the day I was sacked, the owners told me, Jordan Henderson what a massive mistake it was. That was about the only thing they told me,” Comolli told the Independent.
“I am obviously very pleased because Jordan played a key part to what is happening at Liverpool. The second leg of the semi-final is just typical Jordan Henderson. The energy he brought to the team, the determination, the commitment, refusing to give up, refusing to lose.”
OPINION
It is interesting to learn that Henderson was judged to have been a mistaken signing initially by Liverpool’s former owners. That has since, as Comolli suggests, been proven to be an inaccurate view of Liverpool’s signing of the England midfielder. Henderson has been an excellent performer for Liverpool this season in particular, making 21 Premier League appearances as the Reds recorded 97 points, while he also played crucial roles throughout Klopp’s sides run to the Champions League final. The 28-year-old has shown that he is able to lead by example on the pitch and has shown the ability to offer a relentless and energetic presence in the middle of the pitch for the Reds. Liverpool supporters would certainly not view him as a mistaken signing now, and neither will Klopp or the rest of his team-mates. Comolli’s comments highlight that it is important not to judge a player too early and allow them to be given time to bed into a new club, as Henderson has shown players can grow into crucial members of a club if given the time.
