Jordan Henderson has revealed that he wanted James Milner to help him lift the Champions League trophy.
Liverpool claimed a sixth European title with a 2-0 win over Tottenham at the start of June, and the captain lifted the prize alone on the pitch in Madrid.
But opening up on that moment, Henderson has revealed that he would have liked to get his veteran teammate in on the act.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “I felt myself, Millie and the gaffer should have lifted it together.
“I asked Millie and the gaffer because I felt as though Millie is a big part of the squad. I know I wear the armband when I play but he wore it a lot when I haven’t been playing. He is a big part of the dressing room.
“Without him it would have been different – and the manager. What we did that night wouldn’t have been possible without the manager. But he said no. I hadn’t planned it.”
OPINION
This is really nice from Henderson, and it shows exactly what sort of player he is. There are a lot of captains out there who would have taken the trophy presentation as an opportunity to bask in a piece of history and glory for themselves and themselves alone. Instead, Henderson wanted to share that with one of the most understated and experienced players in the Reds’ squad. Milner is a veteran of the game, and yet he shows no signs of slowing down whatsoever. His pass success rate of 84.6% last season, plus his 1.4 key passes and 1.4 tackles [Whoscored] show a player who is still very much at the top of his game, and who is as important now as he has ever been. It reflects well on Milner that he didn’t want the limelight alongside Henderson, but honestly, he would have thoroughly deserved it had he taken it.
