Jordan Henderson has taken quite a bit of flak as both an England and Liverpool starter with supporters often failing to see what the midfielder can offer on the pitch.
He’s been falsely branded as a limited footballer with a big voice, though Ben Foster was keen to emphasise the player’s communication skills on the pitch.
“When Jordan Henderson starts, some people think ‘oh, bloody hell Jordan Henderson?’. I am not joking – I would rather have him starting ahead of most players in that midfield,” the former Watford shotstopper spoke on The Cycling GK.
“I am not joking, he’s that captain that you need on the pitch.
“On the pitch, Jordan Henderson is the main man you know, he’s the guy that’s shouting and pointing and getting everybody going. He raises the tempo.”
The ex-Sunderland star looks set to keep his place in the starting-XI for the Three Lions’ upcoming Round of 16 clash with Senegal and is likely to be joined by Declan Rice and reported Reds target Jude Bellingham in the middle of the park.
We’re under no illusions that the England international is the most technically gifted footballer in either the Liverpool squad or Gareth Southgate’s group, though he’s certainly far more competent than many appear to appreciate.
From providing defensive cover to supporting attacking play, Henderson’s game is actually quite broad and it certainly helps that he’s exactly the kind of man who can lead on the pitch as well as inside a dressing room.
In a knockout tournament, it’s exactly the kind of presence needed in the first-XI; a player who can rally his teammates and push them on, as the national boss will be hoping, to the next stage of the competition.
We doubt many will be clamouring to agree with Foster’s opinion on the matter, though it’s certainly one we share here at Empire of the Kop (if not the choice of kit in his latest YouTube video).
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