Liverpool just saw Jordan Henderson successor and shout heard at Alexis Mac Allister shows why
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has already found an ideal Jordan Henderson replacement, with instructions issued to Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister telling.
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Jordan Henderson initially accompanied his Liverpool teammates to Germany for their pre-season training camp, but he wouldn’t feature in either of their friendlies.
Instead, Henderson packed his bags and departed early after the club agreed a deal to sell him to Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq for an initial fee of $15m (£12m/€14m).
According to The Athletic, Henderson completed his medical in Manchester on Friday and is poised to put pen to paper on a three-year contract. The move should be made official this week, enabling the 33-year-old to join up with his new teammates, who are currently training in Croatia.
When the deal goes through, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp will have to officially appoint a new skipper, having already lost vice-captain James Milner earlier in the summer
In Monday’s friendly against Greuther Fürth, it was once again center-back Virgil van Dijk that led the team out, playing the full first half before he was substituted along with the rest of the starters.
The game was initially advertised as a behind-closed-doors fixture, but even though there proved to be a smattering of fans in attendance at the fifth-tier MS Technologie Arena, viewers still had the rare opportunity to hear the players communicating.
And fittingly, Van Dijk’s was heard most often and echoed around the stadium louder than that of any of his teammates.
At times, he insisted on discipline, urging his teammates to quickly prepare themselves for any set-piece situation, for instance.
He also imparted more specific tactical instructions, at one point telling both Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister to push up into a ‘higher’ starting position.
And finally, he could be heard encouraging and applauding his teammates when they won challenges or pressed effectively, which meant he wasn’t just barking orders.
This was everything you’d reasonably expect of a captain, and Klopp would have been pleased to see Van Dijk effectively serve as his mouthpiece on the field.
Jordan Henderson transfer should lead Liverpool to repeat bold Steven Gerrard move
Some have called for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks a safe long-term bet for the armband, to succeed Henderson, but that would risk creating disharmony for no good reason.
Van Dijk knows he’s next in line, and might be justifiably hurt by any such snub, especially given the contribution he’s made during his Anfield career, one that few players can match. In truth, the only real question should surround the identity of his deputy.
The 32-year-old has earned his chance to be captain, and based on this valuable glimpse into the team’s on-field dynamics, he’s a good fit for the role. He’s a player teammates will admire, respect and, crucially, listen to.