Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on Reds captain Jordan Henderson after he lifted the Champions League trophy on Saturday.
The Rangers manager was the last Liverpool player to clutch the famous trophy in his hands after the famous comeback in Istanbul in 2005, and he has gushed over his successor following the victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
“If I had to name someone I regarded as the ultimate professional, Jordan would be right at the top of the list,” he told The Times. “He is immaculate in the way he lives his life. Some people don’t see the stuff behind the scenes, the gym work, the way he eats, but he is someone who is an incredible role model.
“He is selfless. He is someone who puts himself at the back of the queue because he looks after everyone else first. He puts Jordan Henderson last. All of that is important but, of course, he is a top player as well.
He has running power, you can trust him with the ball, a good range of passing and, over the last few months, has risen to the challenge of pushing Liverpool forward and come right into top form. That is the key. You don’t last at Liverpool just by being a top guy.”
OPINION
Gerrard is absolutely spot on, here. Henderson has been underrated, even maligned, for so long, but he is finally getting the credit he deserves. The England international is a fantastic player, a tremendously hard-working midfielder who can do a bit of everything. He’s not flashy like a Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva, but he is incredibly consistent and is obviously a wonderful person to have in the dressing room. When someone like Gerrard comes out and gives you such fulsome praise, it will mean a lot. For a Liverpool midfielder, it’s as good as it gets. He is a model professional and a terrific captain for the Reds. The former Sunderland man deserved to lift the trophy on Saturday and it will mean a lot for him after receiving a lot of stick when he first joined Liverpool from the Black Cats. He’s never been the most popular of players, but hopefully that’s now changed.
