Jordan Henderson is perhaps the most influential captain playing in the Premier League – certainly so, if his actions of late are anything to go by.
The latest name in football to wax lyrical about the Liverpool midfielder is former Blackburn Rovers star Robbie Savage.
In a feature article for the Mirror, Savage said he has a lot of respect for Hendo. ‘I’m told Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson has been at he forefront of the #PlayersTogether conversations,‘ he wrote.
‘It shows he is not just captain of the best team in the country. As well as lifting the European Cup, being within a heartbeat of winning the Premier League and an outstanding candidate to win Footballer of the Year, it shows he is – first and foremost – a terrific human being.
‘A proper leader. The kind of bloke you would follow into the trenches.‘
Henderson, with the help of other captains in the Premier League, including Troy Deeney, Harry Maguire and Mark Noble, has helped restore the reputation of professional footballers, after they were unfairly criticised by Matt Hancock.
To be fair, the Health Secretary was answering a direct question about footballers and their wealth.
I wonder if he will now be saying the same of the wealthy businessmen, and tycoons with offshore bank accounts, to see if they’ll be following the example set by footballers.
MORE: Jordan Henderson sorting a multimillion Premier League COVID-19 fund for the NHS
Wealthy athletes are an easy target for politicians, in times like which we find ourselves, because they kick about a bag of wind for a living.
But these people pay their taxes like the rest of us, and command more respect than billionaires – like Richard Branson – who seemingly disappear in times of need.