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They say no man is bigger than the club, however If there ever is a player who can at least be considered as big as the team he plays for, it has to be none other than Mr.Liverpool himself, Steven Gerrard. After having spent a decade and a half with his boyhood club, on January 2nd 2015, it was made official that curtains would be drawn down to bring an end to Steven Gerrard’s grandiose Liverpool career once the season expired.
When Gerrard packs his bags for Los Angeles in the summer to part with his trade in the Major League Soccer, it is quite certain that he will be leaving behind massive shoes for someone else to fill in at Anfield.
While Liverpool may look to land a big money replacement for Gerrard, the obvious successor will be the current stand-in captain for Liverpool, Jordan Henderson. He may lack the ‘scouse blood’ like Gerrard, but since his arrival, the Sunderland-born midfielder has grown to become a fan favourite at Anfield. It would be a bit too presumptuous to expect Jordan Henderson to single-handedly win a Champions League or an FA Cup, but here are four reasons why Jordan Henderson could be the next Steven Gerrard:
1. Goal-scoring ability
With 118 Premier League goals under his belt, Steven Gerrard is the second highest scoring midfielder in the Premier League and is also placed 16th in the all-time top scorers’ list. Having made a habit of scoring crucial and stunning goals throughout his Liverpool career, it is one aspect of Gerrard’s career that will be nearly impossible to replace.
Gerrard’s perfectly timed volleys and cracking long-range efforts have bailed out Liverpool on plenty of occasions including a few big ones such as the Champions League final.
Speaking of spectacular goals, Jordan Henderson isn’t shy of scoring the occasional breath-taking goal either. In this season’s league fixtures against Manchester City and Burnley at Anfield, he showed us all, with goals that brought along with them the inevitable Gerrard comparison, that he is capable of scoring world class goals too.
With only a meager 17 Liverpool goals to his name, this is one area where Jordan Henderson will have to up his game a notch to match the likes of Gerrard. But, judging by the goals he has been scoring lately, it won’t be long before the Liverpool number 14 starts scoring them goals like Gerrard.
2. Leadership quality
This season, in the 22 games Liverpool played without Gerrard, they managed a cumbersome win percentage of 40.9% averaging 1.5 points per game, while with Henderson leading the line, Liverpool have managed to win six out of six.
Gerrard has been one of the best captains the Premier League has ever seen, and despite not being at the peak of his powers this season, yet he has been the source of inspiration for the club like how it has always been.
As we have seen in the past, the seasoned former England international captain prefers to lead his players by example; winning trophies and earning accolades in the process.
It was announced by Liverpool in September 2014, that the 24-year-old Henderson was to be the new vice-captain of the club. This raised a few eyebrows as there were more experienced players in the side such as Lucas Leiva and Martin Skrtel. However, Jordan Henderson has proved to be up to the task from day 1.
Henderson is vocal, animated and makes his presence felt on the pitch. Having captained both Sunderland and the England under 21s, he is not short of experience either.
By committing his future to the club with a contract that will keep him at the club till 2020, it looks like Henderson is the right man to take over the armband from Gerrard.
3. Versatility
Steven Gerrard has played in numerous positions ranging from a full back role to a wide midfielder. In the 1998-99 season, a young Steven Gerrard debuted at right back before manager Gerard Houllier shifted him to a central midfield position.
In the 2008-09 season, Gerrard played a majority of games in the second striker position, in behind Spanish striker Fernando Torres and scored a total of 24 goals that season.
One cannot help but notice the resemblance between Henderson and Gerrard here.
Henderson was employed at various positions – both at Sunderland and Liverpool – before he settled down as an energetic box to box midfielder.
Under Brendan Rodgers, Henderson has played at wingback, as a false winger and as a central midfielder. Henderson’s adaptability to change will be key for Liverpool in the future when Gerrard finally hands over mantle to him.
4. Nationality
Steven Gerrard’s England career is far from what you would call successful. With a total of 114 caps, he captained the Three Lions to two unsuccessful major tournaments, the World Cup 2014 and the Euro Cup 2012. It is quite a shame that such a top class player, who has achieved so much at the club level, failed to win a trophy internationally.
Not many may know this, but Jordan Henderson has a vast experience in captaining England, having represented them at four different levels. He was the captain of the famous U-21 English side who maintained a 100% record in the 2013 Euro Qualifiers.
It is certain that Henderson is a part of Roy Hodgson’s plan for the future as England prepares of the 2016 Euros in France.
The memories of the disappointing World Cup and Euro Cup campaigns with the senior team will be vivid in Henderson’s mind and in the years to come this, experience will come handy for Henderson, when the need for a new English captain emerges.
