Jordan Henderson: One of Us

I never saw a Jordan Henderson game before he signed for Liverpool.
I was rather disappointed seeing Juan Mata going to Chelsea. I was so obsessed to have a Spanish midfielder of that golden era that my bare eyes couldn’t perceive the value of a random Geordie lad coming with a huge price tag.
Yes, £16m was a massive figure in those days.
Well, at least I had a good company of people like Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Brendan Rodgers and so on. Nobody realized how good this lad was.
Ferguson was skeptical about his running style, Dalglish’s unhealthy obsession towards a flat 4-4-2 formation shunted him to right midfield. Rodgers desperation to swap him for a certain Clint Dempsey on deadline day is a part of Anfield folklore now.
12 years on – Juan Mata, Clint Dempsey, my ignorance, Dalglish & Rodgers’ days as elite coaches, Ferguson’s suspicion, players who were supposedly brought in (and those who weren’t) to replace him i.e. Allen, Keita, Fekir, Chamberlain – nothing lasted.
Jordan Henderson’s dedication, perseverance, adaptability, energy did. He proved he’s way more than just a man of an artsy jawline and a homegrown quota.
Taking the mantle from Steven Gerrard is a godly task. Hendo wasn’t Stevie, he never pretended or wanted to be one.
He wanted to be Henderson. A lad who wanted to win the Champions League the moment he saw AC Milan celebrating with it on Old Trafford back in 2003. And he left no stones unturned to achieving that dream. And that’s where a big lesson of life lies – never pretend to be somebody that you’re not. Always be yourself no matter how adverse the situation goes.
As a supporter of Liverpool – all you ask is that a player gives his all. Jordan Henderson gave his all.
And for that, he will always be one of us.