Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, claiming that he is “such an important player” for the Reds.
The skipper has been in fine form of late, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Dutchman.
Speaking to the Athletic, he said: “Jordan is such an important player for this team.
“The contribution he makes goes unnoticed sometimes. I don’t know if he’s under-appreciated outside the club, but inside the club I know how highly we all think of him. He’s our captain and he always leads by example.
“He created the second goal with a great pass and always works so hard for the team. We all appreciate what he does for Liverpool, both on and off the pitch. He’s a leader.”
OPINION
Henderson has taken his fair amount of stick over the years at Liverpool, but it’s important to remember that there is a reason that he is entrusted with the armband every week, and his work ethic and leadership qualities cannot be understated. The 29-year-old is a tireless grafter in the centre of the park, but he has shown on several occasions recently that he has real quality to his game too. His assist for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Saturday was perhaps the best example yet of that. A pinpoint diagonal that cut out the entire Bournemouth team, it was a piece of play that wouldn’t have looked out of place had Xabi Alonso himself pulled it out of the bag. Beyond that, his all-round play was impressive too, and his Whoscored rating of 8.32 was his best of the season. It feels as if he is getting better and better just as the Reds need him most.
