Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kiev, played five
times for England at the World Cup finals in Russia, and returned
for training with Liverpool only six days before the new campaign
began.
Burnout? Not a chance. If anything Jordan came further of
age as captain in season 2018/19 as he signed a new long-term
contract with the club – “There is no other place I’d rather play
football” – and flourished in an advanced role behind new holding
midfielder Fabinho.
Back to that goal at Southampton in April 2019 and Klopp’s
decision to introduce the skipper after half-time, further up the
field. “I’ve seen him a lot like that,” said the boss afterwards. “That’s
Jordan, that’s him.
“When I came in and thought first about the team, Hendo was
a box-to-box player. We made him a no6 and that’s good. But we
play different systems and I think it’s helped him a lot to play in
different positions.”
Eight weeks later and a fortnight before his 29th birthday,
Jordan Henderson tap-danced and shimmied full-circle on a
warm Madrid night and did what Steven Gerrard had done in
2005: thrust the Champions League trophy high into the sky.
This season he’s thrown the same celebratory shapes with the
“IN THE OLD DAYS
PERHAPS THE
CAPTAINCY WEIGHED
HEAVILY ON JORDAN’S
SHOULDERS AND HE
NEEDED TO BELIEVE
MORE IN WHAT HE
HAD IN HIS OWN
LOCKER, BUT NOW HIS
PERFORMANCE LEVELS
ARE CONSISTENTLY
OUTSTANDING – AND
LIVERPOOL ARE ALL
THE BETTER FOR IT”