Jordan Henderson spoke about the rough patch he went through under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool.
30-year-old Jordan Henderson has been Liverpool’s captain since 2015. However, the England international spent some tough moments at Anfield before Jurgen Klopp’s arrival. Henderson first came to the Reds in 2011, after the club paid €18 million to secure his services from Sunderland.
Nevertheless, Jordan didn’t have an easy start at the club and could’ve had a very different fate. The player told The Guardian how he felt after Brendan Rodgers tried to sell him to Fulham on a swap-deal to sign Clint Dempsey.
“That was a difficult moment I remember very clearly. We were preparing for a [Europa League qualifying] game against Hearts at Anfield. We met as normal in the [Hope Street] hotel and I got a knock on my door saying the manager wanted to speak to us. To be fair to Brendan Rodgers, it was really just a conversation. It was an opportunity [to leave for Fulham] I didn’t want and I didn’t like. I still felt I had an awful lot to give,” he revealed.
“But I was in a very dark place at that time. It made us a lot stronger and a lot wiser later on and, without that, you never know what could have happened. Ever since that day I had something in me. I needed to prove to the manager I would get in his team eventually. I’d do absolutely everything to be in his team, this football club, and I’d prove them wrong. In the end I did.”
Jurgen Klopp’s arrival was a turning point for Henderson.
The German manager first came to Anfield in 2015 and gave the English midfielder the captain’s armband for the first time. Henderson believes Klopp was a visionary as he changed the midfielder’s role on the pitch.
“When the manager first came it was difficult for me because I was injured. I kept getting niggles so it took a while to get the real me and my rhythm back. And then I began to play in a deeper role and that is thanks to Jurgen, because I don’t think many people would have seen how I could do that role. There were times when I wasn’t performing well. Then you would question if I was good enough. But I had confidence in the manager and kept working and I matured. I’m really grateful for having that opportunity because my all-round game has improved defensively and offensively.”
Jordan Henderson lifted the first Premier League trophy for Liverpool in 30 years, contributing to the club’s success with four goals and three assists last season.
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