Jordan Henderson has backed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to be like a new signing for Liverpool next season.
The Reds’ captain believes the England international will come back stronger than ever after missing the majority of last season with a knee injury.
The 29-year-old said, as quoted by Express: “He has looked so strong, so good in training. This pre-season is important for him and I’m sure he will be flying again.”
“He is like a new signing for us. He is such a fantastic player for us, so powerful and he gives us something different. He is a massive player to have back.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Anfield from Arsenal in 2017, and made a big impact in his first season at Liverpool, making 32 appearances and scoring a vital goal in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City.
However, an injury at the end of that season saw the £120,000 per-week ace [Source: Spotrac] only manage to complete 19 minutes of Premier League football in the last campaign.
OPINION
There is no doubting Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ability in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, but it is also important that the 25-year-old isn’t surrounded by too much pressure on his return to the side after such a long injury. It is important that the former Arsenal man can rediscover his form from the season before last, which saw him pick up three goals and deliver seven assists, a good return for a midfielder who only started 14 games that season. Oxlade-Chamberlain is very dynamic in the middle of the park and offers a lot both going forward and defensively. It is time for the midfielder to put his injury history aside, with the England international having missed 349 days of competitive action since his arrival only two years ago [Source: Transfermarkt] – something that needs to drastically change if he is to have as much of an impact as Henderson is expecting. The captain has spoken about how strong he looks, which is great praise and something he will be hoping to take advantage of come the start of the Premier League.
