Jordan Henderson had a near infallible record as captain of Liverpool but his reputation has been hugely tarnished by a move to Saudi Arabia, something he already seems ready to bring to an end.
Speaking with Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad (via Sport Witness), Ki-Jana Hoever said about our former captain: “He immediately explained the basics to me. How things worked at Melwood training ground and what playing for Liverpool entails.
“Make sure you arrange your things on time, so that you arrive at the club well in time and go to the gym outside of field training. We young boys were especially not allowed to be lazy.
“If it works, Ajax will get a real leader. In everything, on and off the field. A good midfielder, whose temperament and willpower really came to the fore when things went badly.
“During such a speech he could go on a rant and really put teammates in their place, but in a good way. I stood sometimes amazed at how he was always a role model and leader, who did the best for the group.
“He never relented, nor did he accept it from others if they did not keep agreements. He also often knew how to do things better. Sometimes he came up with tactical instructions, sometimes he emphasised the experience.”
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It’s no surprise to hear that the young Stoke City man was quickly taught what was expected from him by a man who was a real leader within our dressing room.
Ahead of a possible return to Europe for the Sunderland-born midfielder, our former defender was asked to comment on links with the England international to a move to Ajax.
It’s clear that the Dutchman has a lot of respect for the Al-Ettifaq skipper and would be happy to see him represent one of his former teams.
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It’s perhaps somewhat of a surprise to hear a player talk so glowingly about a possible transfer elsewhere but it just shows how pivotal the 33-year-old was at Anfield.
The real shame from all of this is that it was a reunion with Steven Gerrard that seems to have dented his reputation in world football.
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