From being offered as bait in exchange for Fulham’s Clint Dempsey to becoming the captain of Europe’s most successful English club, Jordan Henderson’s sweat-breaking journey through accusations of mediocrity, incompetency and a proclivity for the mundane has been a long one. All of 25, his only quarter-life crises now stems from the responsibility of stepping into the shoes of a certain Steven Gerrard, whose name attracts comparisons from none less than the most formidable talents the world has produced.
But is it really a question of filling those legend-stamped shoes? It would be harsh to call it a successor’s curse, something which Henderson would no doubt have sleepless nights about, of having to lead those ten loyal men in red out into Anfield on a warm Saturday afternoon filtering out the whispers among the 45,000 who evaluate him and wonder if his passion would ever extend beyond his blood-soaked heat maps and become the bastion of leadership his famed predecessor was known for.
After a dismal season, with Liverpool finishing sixth and below Tottenham, fingers uncurled to point to an unexceptional midfield, despite the presence of the brilliant Coutinho and the emotional gathering towards Gerrard’s departure. Henderson’s heroics were limited to a few gleaming displays, while his work rate mitigated the criticism that was surely coming his way. In 28 premier league games, he managed a return of 5 goals and 7 assists, but he has never been someone who has been gauged on statistics, has he? What then, if not goals and assists, made him, in the span of 2 years, from a near-reject to the captain of Liverpool?
Liverpool’s captaincy has been rather skewed in terms of its longevity, and not for three decades prior to Gerrard’s appointment in 2003 have we seen a captain serving for more than 3 years. We’d have to go back to the glittering, trophy-laden period of the 70s when Emlyn Hughes championed Liverpool to an enviable return of 4 league titles, an FA Cup demolition of Newcastle United, successive European Cups, a UEFA Cup and a Super Cup, all in the span of 6 years. Gerrard has been brutally humbled in this respect. And yet, his reverence is unmistakeable. There is no doubt as to who has been the better player, funded by loyalty or otherwise, and who has shed blood countless times as part of a menial trade with the undying love and devotion he has received in return.