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Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has revealed the advice he gave Trent Alexander-Arnold following his recent poor form.
The right-back scored a spectacular free kick for Liverpool in their comfortable 2-0 victory over Rangers in the Champions League on Tuesday (October 4). Alexander-Arnold has been heavily criticized by supporters and the media in recent weeks for his displays, which have seen him make several defensive errors.
Henderson has revealed that he has spoken to his under-fire teammate. The England midfielder insisted that part of his job is allowing Alexander-Arnold to create by going forward. Henderson told BT Sport (as per The Liverpool Echo):
“I think you’ve got to give Trent the license to get forward at times and produce what he can produce in the final third. I thought he was good defensively tonight, he did the basics well and overall, I thought it was a really good performance, I didn’t have to cover much.”
“I think it can be difficult, you try not to listen to social media especially when you’re going through a tough period as a footballer or a team."
Henderson added:
“You have to switch off social media, the noise around and focus on what you do day-to-day and improve your performance and stay focused on the team."
"And that’s not easy, with everything that goes on in the outside world and it can hurt players at times, you’ve got to try to find a way to use it as fuel and find a way to use it on the pitch to prove people wrong. That’s what I’ve learned the older I’ve got.”
Jordan Henderson states some Liverpool players need a 'kick up the backside at times'
Liverpool have endured a difficult campaign so far and are currently ninth in the Premier League table. Henderson has recognized that as captain, it is important to help lift his teammates and get them through difficult spells. He proclaimed:
“I’ve got to sense certain individuals at times need an arm around the shoulder, some of them might need a kick up the backside at times but it’s trying to find the balance. When we’re on the pitch, it’s not personal, you try to shout, dictate and do what helps the team."
“Off the field, you can help the players and help them as much as possible and I try and use that responsibility but we’ve got other senior players and experienced players within the dressing room who do that."
He concluded:
“It’s about staying together as a team especially when you go through tough moments - we’ve been through plenty of them as a team - and we have to use our experience to get through this one.”
