“It was the best thing to do” - Jordan Henderson makes brutally honest claim on Liverpool departure

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has made an honest admission regarding his exit from the club. The England international has said that it was in the best interest of the club that he moved on last summer as they needed an overhaul.

Liverpool oversaw a major transformation of their squad last summer, particularly in the midfield area. Henderson along with Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner departed as Jurgen Klopp brought in wholesale changes in his midfield. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch joined the Reds and have all been pivotal behind their excellent season thus far.

Jordan Henderson has admitted that while he was sad to leave the Merseyside giants, he also insisted it was the best thing for the club. The now-Ajax midfielder also hailed Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold for stepping up this campaign as new leaders.

Henderson said, as quoted by the Guardian:

"I think it was the right time for me as a player but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time. I was very emotional. Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club."

The 33-year-old England international added:

"It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil [van Dijk] becoming captain, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] becoming vice-captain, and how they’ve stepped up again this season, I think it has given them another lift. They have been two huge players for the team this season.

"I think it was the best thing for the club and the team and you can see that in the performances and how they’ve done, as much as that hurts me. It’s football and you move on.”

Henderson etched his name in Liverpool's history books during his 12-year stint at the club. He joined the Reds from his boyhood club Sunderland in 2011 and went on to make 492 appearances while producing 33 goals and 61 assists.

The Englishman served as the Liverpool skipper since 2015 after Steven Gerrard's departure and won eight trophies. He joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq last summer but after a disappointing six-month spell under Gerrard, he joined Ajax in January.

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Rio Ferdinand tips Liverpool target to win Ballon d'Or in the future

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has claimed that reported Liverpool target Jamal Musiala can win the Ballon d'Or in the future.

The Germany international has been catching the eye for a while now for club and country. He played a key role as Bayern Munich overturned a 1-0 deficit against Lazio in the Champions League Round of 16 in the second leg on March 5. Bayern won 3-0 at home courtesy of a Harry Kane brace with Thomas Muller scoring the third but it was Musiala who impressed Ferdinand the most.

The former Manchester United defender insisted that the former Chelsea academy graduate is very much pleasing to the eye. He backed him to win the Ballon d'Or in the future, saying:

“He’s a fabulous footballer. In a world where we talk about stats and data, he ticks that box, but it’s on the eye test where he comes alive. The way he receives the ball, he’s elusive, he rides a tackle and gets through traffic with HD. He’s a fantastic footballer."

The former England international added:

“I think the highest compliment I can give him is that I don’t know where his ceiling is. Most players even at 20/22 years old, you go ‘I think they are going to get to this level and that’s them.’

"This guy has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. I’ve said it before, he has the potential to do that if the path goes the right way for him and he’s in a successful team. That’s the platform and foundation for that."

Aged only 21, Musiala is already one of the most important players for both Bayern Munich and Germany. The reported Liverpool target has so far made 154 senior appearances for Bayern while being capped 25 times for Germany.

A technically gifted player, Musiala is capable of playing either as a number 10 or on either flank. He has also featured often as a No. 8 in a three-man midfield. With his current deal at the Allianz Arena expiring in 2026, there are speculations regarding his future, with Liverpool being an admirer.