Gini Wijnaldum claims that Jordan Henderson is the best captain he’s ever played with.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Dutch international name-checked Kevin Strootman and Mark van Bommel, but said the Liverpool midfielder tops them both.
“I’ve played with a few players who have great leadership, I have to say Kevin Strootman and Jordan Henderson were, I think, above the other ones,” he’s quoted as saying by GOAL.
“Mark van Bommel was also a good leader and a good captain, but out of the three of them, I have to chose Henderson.
“It can be annoying [when he is motivating players on the pitch], but if you think about why he’s doing it, it’s only to help you as a person and the team so if you think about it in that way, you always appreciate it so we are really happy with the way Henderson is.”
This is a big compliment coming from Wijnaldum – a star who has played with some greats over the years, and is now one of the most influential players in the world.
It’s a little surprising that Virgil van Dijk wasn’t brought up, as the Dutch skipper almost led the national team to a UEFA Nations League final last year, but we’re sure longevity was to blame there.
Wijnaldum and Henderson will both be desperate for the Premier League to return, after watching Bundesliga stars back in action over the weekend.
The English game could be set to return on Friday 12 June, according to the Daily Mail – with a suggestion of Manchester United v. Tottenham being the first game back.
The same report claims that ten games will be played over the first long-weekend back, with one game on Friday, four on both Saturday and Sunday and the final one on Monday night.
These fixtures are said to all have their own time slot, in what sounds like a dream for football fans who’ve been starved of any Premier League action for the best part of two months now.