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Jordan Henderson shows true colors that helped Liverpool win everything

Jordan Henderson attempted to deflect attention away from Ajax's striker issues
-Credit: (Image: 2024 DeFodi Images)


Jordan Henderson was an excellent servant to Liverpool, and a brilliant midfielder, but his greatest characteristic was undoubtedly the way he led the team.

Henderson had the unenviable task of following in Steven Gerrard's footsteps, taking the armband at Anfield following the great midfielder's departure in 2015. The England midfielder quickly grew into the role, though, and won all there is to win with the Reds, including the Champions League in 2019 and the club's first league title in 30 years in 2020.

Henderson is currently playing for Eredivisie side Ajax, having moved to Amsterdam in January, and he was quickly installed as captain of the Netherlands' biggest club.

His leadership skills were on show for all to see this week as he expertly batted away questions about Ajax's strikers following the team's tough start to the season.

The addition of Wout Weghorst specifically has prompted criticism from sections of the Dutch media, but Henderson was keen to stress that the performance of the team is a collective responsibility.

“It’s always about our strikers. That’s apparently a big deal here, but not for me," Henderson said. “For me it’s always about the team, not about individuals. Our strikers have their own qualities and it’s up to them to show in training who should play. And also who is fit. We have a lot of games to go.”

Henderson, whose Ajax side sits ninth in the Dutch league table after four games, added: "Of course it can always be better and we always look at what went well and what did not. But you should never go too high after a win and never too low after a defeat. Maybe the feeling was different immediately after the match, but if you analyse a match well it can also be details that need to be changed.

“To not fall below the lower limit, you have to stay focused and stick to the game plan. If you fall behind, you have to reset and try to get back on track. That went well against Go Ahead. You also have to try to win the second balls and win duels. We will have to do that against Besiktas, because they have a strong team and are doing well in the league. It will be a good test and a good challenge for us.”