Here are some things I know about Jordan Henderson.
Jordan Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland in the summer.
Jordan Henderson – and his mam – take good care of their teeth.
Jordan Henderson could do a decent job of playing a rising star in 1930s German politics in a middlebrow made-for-TV drama.
The rest is silence, or rather lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Ask a dozen Liverpool fans about Henderson and you’ll get thirteen different verdicts.
A fantastic prospect, the new Beckham, the new Gerrard, a waste of money, a nonentity, the new Biscan.
There’s a beautiful uncertainty about it all, a sense of something very rarely associated with English footballers – mystery.
In a football culture faithfully wedded to the idea of pigeon-holing players as early as possible, of kids playing 11-a-side on full-size pitches, taking each game as it comes, finding a role and sticking to it, Henderson is an oddity.
While we venerate youth, hyping sensations like Wayne Rooney before they’re old enough to drive, we also like to take them at face value, urging them to use the skills immediately apparent at the expense of developing a truly rounded game.
Some players thrive in these conditions, while others (Paul Scholes springs immediately to mind) are good enough, focused enough, to transcend the straitjacket of expectation and find their own path. Too many, though, cash in their chips early, settling for the natural groove in which they fit, until it becomes a rut and they’re surpassed by younger, better, more rounded players. This is the fate of the Jermaine generation – of Jenas and Pennant, and Defoe (Jermain in the latter case, if we’re being accurate). Sensationally gifted in some ways, their comfort zones have become their prisons, trapping them in a downward spiral of relative mediocrity when all three might have been so much better.
At 21, Henderson remains palpably a work in progress. This is a good thing – potentially a very good thing. It helps that, like Beckham, he does not have express pace or colossal size. Being neither little and nippy nor big and robust, Henderson is hard for the press to categorise. He’s emphatically not a Match of the Day player.
Much of the debate among fans has centred around whether Henderson is wasted on the right. Maybe so – at the moment it appears his best position is in a central role. That’s not to say he can’t develop in to a very competent right-sided midfielder. After all, Beckham has spent his entire career slightly out of position and he’s not done too badly out of it.
Even if we see Henderson as operating purely through the centre, it’s not clear whether that will be as an anchor man, a box-to-box merchant, an attacking midfielder or something else entirely.
That’s the most tantalising, exciting thing about Henderson. It feels like the Wearsider can be as good as he wants to be, as good as Liverpool can help him be, capable of both running and deciding a game, of making a position his own or operating as a high-class utility man.
Maybe this is premature – and perhaps there’s a bit of over-hyping going on right here. But Henderson is as intriguing a signing as Liverpool have made in years. Perhaps alone among our summer recruits, he’s also one for where we hope we might be going – the Champions League, title challenges, big days and bigger nights.
While in the summer it made a certain amount of sense to recruit players who could potentially help bridge the gap from sixth to fourth, Henderson reflects a longer-term vision and should be judged on that basis. In fact, it could be a mistake to judge him at all – the quietly-spoken kid who Roy Keane said had a ‘rare innocence’ has it in him to confound our every expectation before his Anfield career is done.
I like him a lot, I have to say. Engine, wants the ball, wants to move it on quickly. If there are idiots that can’t figure out the value in that, good luck to them eh?
Exactly right, in that sense Henderson is very much a ‘typical old fashioned’ Liverpool player, all about the team, pass and move, get it again, give it, move somewhere else.
At the moment Henderson is good at everything but spectacular at nothing hence some fans dont appreciate him as they should
Great piece … Watching Jordan this season i think he started shakey but as the season is progressing so in Henderson … He seems to grow with Stevie in the team also … He is young and a very HOT prospect … if he fulfills his potential he can be one of Englands great midfielders! i also like how we never see Hendo in the papers reminicent of scholes at unites a quiet guy who enjoys his footie … as a side note – when was the last time we saw a pic of Andy Carroll out partying or hear of him getting in trouble??
“It feels like [Henderson] can be as good as he wants to be, as good as Liverpool can help him be, capable of both running and deciding a game, of making a position his own or operating as a high-class utility man.”
… “perhaps there’s a bit of over-hyping going on right here.”
You think??
He takes up some incredible positions and makes some intelligent runs. He definitely has the brain. Really looking forward to seeing him develop with us.
My fave player out of all the summer signings, it’s his engine, he’s not showy or flash.. Simple balls but keeps it constantly moving.. I guess I see similarities to Lucas, and he seems to have the same love hate relationship with the fans. Would rather see him in the centre, but with Lucas and gerrard in front of him when fit, I see him being used more on the right hand side. The one young English player I’m glad we went out and got! His future is bright!
Nice bit of writing that.
I like him too, and perhaps with Kenny he might get the chance to develop in the right way, in contrast to how others were cast aside during the Evans/Houllier/Benitez eras (at least that’s how it seems in my head).
How many such players with potential (home-grown and bought) did we break the backs of during those years? Maybe you guys could list them in the podcast tomorow?
I would dearly love to see him succeed. I think he could be a massive player for Liverpool in the future.
Perhaps you could name all those future stars tht were cast aside.I recently heard Didi Hamann saying that Rafa was genius of a manager and was brilliant at setting a team up and improving players.
Good read. I’m a fan of Henderson and his pass and move style will benefit us as a side for years to come. He’s at his best when other players around him have the same mentality, e.g Bellamy running down the wing away at Chelsea and more recently Gerrard at home to Newcastle. In a free-flowing side, we will really see him flourish.
Im not sure what more people need to see of Henderson to realise what a top player he is already and how good he is going to be.
He’s got a terrific engine, reads the game very well, can pick a pass, can shoot, can cross and whether he is having a good game or not he never ever hides.
At 21 he’s already better than many players with much more experience.
Great signing not only for this season but the next 10 years.
Henderson starting to be a name you look for on the team sheet. Think he’s going to be a great player. Agree with the article, bet his international appearances don’t do justice to the talent.
I’ve liked the look of this kid from the start, He’s got it all for me, Engine, One touch passing, Vision and an eye for goal when he gets the opportunity to go forward. I agree about Europe, he would thrive in that competition, His whole approach to the game is ‘continental’ maybe thats why the press and certain fans don’t see his worth.
Reading this piece, has made me realise, actually yes, you’re right, he is a work in progress and thankfully for us he’s in the right place to take the next steps in his development.
I can’t help but think of (a young) Ronnie Whelan when I see Jordan playing. Not huge, not nippy, as you said great engine, very good vision – can pick out a great pass.
Not to put too much expectation on the lad :)
I do seem to remember Ronnie taking a good two seasons to really get going.
Anyway generally agreed on the article. Here’s hoping.
Henderson reminds me of Raul Meireles. He keeps things ticking over nicely and never stops running. He’s maybe missing that end product that Raul sometimes had but he’s a lot younger and definitely has the potential to add this to his game. His impact on games is not as obvious as say Gerrard or Adam, but think fans are starting to appreciate what he brings to the team. Seems to be the first name on the team sheet for King Kenny so that’s good enough for me!!!
He’s a clever player, you can definitely see why Kenny was happy to pay so much money for him. The one thing I think he lacks the most at the moment though, is the belief in himself that he can be a Liverpool player. He seems a humble kid (which in itself can be a quality), but I’d love to see him really back his ability and take on some more responsibility. He’s capable of doing that
“Ask a dozen Liverpool fans about Henderson and you’ll get thirteen different verdicts.”
Looks like the first 12 people on here to comment like the lad and I am no different which is good to see. He’s a work in progress no doubt but looks a very clever young player who is willing to learn. Similar to Lucas a few years ago and look at him now, lets hope it’s the same path for Henderson.
As always you get idiots who have no idea about the game or how it is played that are happy to gob off and slag players off. Unfortunately in this age of social networking etc they get more of a voice. Fuck ’em.
Henderson is a brilliant, english prospect. His reading of the game is a credit considering his age. I agree, he reminds me of Whelan back in the day…..methodical, unselfish and always willing to receive the ball. In modern football players like Jordan need time to adapt to their surroundings. He is at Liverpool football club for goodness sake! Its an awful lot of pressure so we must be patient. Just like Lucas before him, Jordan will come good!
nice piece. I agree. I admire his work rate and he has been consistent because Dalglish plays him all the time. Downing + Adam are the only Summer signings that I’ve been skeptical of.
Like Roy – not relation – Henderson says: “He wants the ball” That’ll take him a long way forward under Kenny IMO
Henderson is still only 21 and learning the game.The key to his future lies with him.He is now at the best club in the world,so for him he has to have the hunger and the will to be the mainstay ofLiverpool for years to come.
I agree with most in that when he (and the team) are on their game he already offers a lot. He’s got great, quick feet, good body shape when receiving the ball, a great first touch and as already commented, is a really excellent one-touch player. He’s capable of insicive passing (see some of his assists for examples). Yes, sometimes he could hold on to the ball a little longer (and shield it a little better) but it’s much easier to coach those abilities into a player than the other way around. Yes, sometimes he could run beyond the forwards more oftenbut I think that will come. Goals can come as well and if we’re comparing, I see shades on Terry Mc in him.
As Steve says, it really is down to him. In that regard I see his biggest challenge is to exert his will and personality on to the game. He’s young and in his first season at a massive club so it’s understandable that he’s a bit introverted. Once he develops some more “swagger” and asserts himself more we’ll have a real player on our hands.