Jamie Redknapp has singled out Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson for praise after he has flourished as captain under Jurgen Klopp.
The former Reds’ midfielder drooled over the England international, claiming he just gets on with his job to great effect in the engine room at Anfield.
Writing on his team of the week column for the Daily Mail, Redknapp believes that Henderson has silenced all of his critics after captaining his side for the 100th time in the Premier League against Arsenal.
“Jordan Henderson taking over the captaincy from Steven Gerrard was up there with the toughest of jobs in football,” he wrote.
“Henderson was under pressure. There was expectation on the England midfielder, and he got a lot of stick at times. He had his haters, but he has hushed them all.”
“Henderson is still worth his weight in gold for what he offers Liverpool, on and off the pitch. He does what he does brilliantly. He’s not flash, he’s not flamboyant. He just does his job.”
Redknapp ended up not choosing Henderson for his team of the week despite his kind words, but instead opted for a trio of Reds from their 3-1 win over Arsenal as he selected Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
OPINION
Despite being captain, Henderson very much remains an unsung hero in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield. No matter how flamboyant and attacking one team that be, they always need a solid base, anchoring their every move, and that is Henderson to the Reds. Not only is he good on the ball and can find any pass, but the Englishman also does the hard graft and wins possession back for his side should they lose it. In his two starts this season, the 29-year-old has averaged 2.3 tackles, as well as 36.7 passes according to WhoScored – stats that back up his effectiveness at the base of midfield. Matip and Alexander-Arnold were both outstanding too, managing Arsenal’s fast-paced counter-attacking style brilliantly for the majority of the game, helping their side maintain pressure. Matip’s goal just before half-time was perfectly timed and allowed his team to keep control of the game and push on in the second half. People must be running out of words to describe Salah, who once again lit up Anfield with his two goals, one from the penalty spot, and another from a superb solo run – the Egyptian really is stepping up when his side needed goals.
