5 reasons why Virgil van Dijk is a future Liverpool captain

#2 Jordan Henderson's first-team place is not guaranteed

The imminent arrival of Naby Keita could signal the end for current captain Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s current captain – midfielder Jordan Henderson – also happens to be one of the most divisive players in English football right now. Even Liverpool fans find it difficult to really decide whether he’s a key player or simply a passenger in their side, and the argument tends to sway from Henderson being a pedestrian midfielder with a slow touch who only passes sidewards, to a hard-working, tough-tackling leader who is a key to Liverpool’s engine.

The issue is that despite being Liverpool’s captain, it seems that at times, Jurgen Klopp has found it just as hard as the fans to really make a call on Henderson. While he’s been a key part of the Liverpool side who’ve beaten Manchester City and Roma in Champions League action recently, he also found himself left out of the starting line-up for key games against Manchester United and Sevilla earlier in the season.

With the imminent arrival of Naby Keita – a man who shares some attributes with Henderson, but is generally seen as his superior – the current captain’s time may be limited, at least in terms of a starting position. And if he isn’t starting then surely it makes more sense to give the armband to someone who is a guaranteed starter and a key player – and in that sense, the only really strong option would be van Dijk.