It may be unfair to compare the two given Gerrard’s iconic status but Henderson, 25, now has to be the one who speaks for the team and show what he has picked up from the departed captain.
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The England worldwide has now officially been given the role following the departure of Reds’ legend Gerrard, who left Anfield at the end of the 2014/15 campaign before completing a move to LA Galaxy.
And the 25-year-old has no intention of trying to copy his predecessor, as he feels that doing so represents an impossible task. “Brendan has been brilliant for this football club and I think he can take it even higher”. He’s a footballer who I had so much respect for and for a leadership aspect as well. I was vice captain, and led the side when Stevie wasn’t there.
Now he has been handed that chance by Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and is relishing it after three impressive displays on the club’s pre-season tour which is now in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Friday night’s clash with a Malaysia XI. When he scored the other day, I got in touch with him straight away.
Speaking to his club’s official website about his captaincy affecting his bonding with team-mates, Henderson said: “I hope not“. He was over the moon for me.
Henderson took the armband numerous times last year, filling in for Gerrard – and insisted that those experiences give him confidence that he can fulfil the permanent role with similar aplomb. He seemed to be heading for the exit door in 2012 but was determined to stay and fight for his place.
‘What he’s done on and off the field, as a player and as a captain, as a person, he’s been unbelievable.
“I have always been that way”.
“The signs are good”. They wouldn’t accept what they saw that day and nor should they.
The midfielder says the squad have never lost faith in the manager despite enduring a tough campaign in 2014/15.
Not just Gerrard, most great players are irreplaceable in like for like way.
“If it was just a holiday, we wouldn’t have gone”. “I have dealt with a lot worse”.
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“I’m excited about what we can achieve if we keep working hard”. We have some quality players here and I’ve got real belief in them that we can be successful.
