Jordan Henderson pushing Kevin De Bruyne and Sadio Mane in race for PFA Player of the Year award
Liverpool full-back Andrew Robertson believes club captain Jordan Henderson is finally getting the credit he deserves.
The Reds have been virtually unstoppable in the Premier League this season, unbeaten after 23 games, winning 22 and only drawing to Manchester United.
They are also unbeaten in the Premier League in 40 matches since a defeat to Manchester City in January 2019, reaching that milestone thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Will Henderson win Player of the Year? Five things to know…
- Liverpool are unbeaten in the Premier League after 23 games and look set to win the title, 16 points clear at the top.
- Henderson has been key to their form as captain, helping keep the group tight.
- The Englishman’s impact has been somewhat overlooked at times, with other stars the focus of praise.
- But Robertson believes Henderson is starting to get the credit he deserves.
- Henderson is 6/1 to be named PFA Player of the Year for 2019/20 according to William Hill*, behind only Sadio Mane (4/5) and Kevin De Bruyne (11/2).
*Odds provided by William Hill, Squawka’s partner for the 2020 January transfer window. You have to be 18+ to gamble. For more information, go to GambleAware.org
Roberto Firmino received a lot of the attention on the Liverpool side after netting the winning goal in the 84th minute, but the scoring was opened early on by Henderson.
The England midfielder has been a part of Liverpool’s side since 2011 but has often received criticism for not being good enough, especially when the Reds needed someone to replace Steven Gerrard.
But this season, he has shown himself to be a key player for Liverpool, part of a dynamite midfield often alongside Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum. Henderson also featured at centre-back once during Liverpool’s Club World Cup semi-final win over Mexican side Monterrey — en route to winning the trophy.
And Robertson believes Henderson is finally getting the praise he deserves as one of Liverpool’s most important players.
“Hendo, for me, this season has been different class,” he told the club’s official website. “He’s been one of, if not our best player this season.
“Sometimes over the years, Hendo’s not got the credit that he deserves. But when you play with him, you train with him and see the way he acts off the field, it’s an absolute pleasure [for him] to be my captain and everyone’s captain.
“For us, he’s now getting the credit that he deserves and that’s what it’s all about for us because he’s getting the recognition that his performances deserve.
“And today [against Wolves] just epitomises Jordan Henderson – the way he went about his business, the way he scored the goal and his assist.
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“His all-round play the past couple of months has been second to none and he’s really driving us forward to the position we are in now.”
Henderson’s recent performances and Liverpool’s excellent run have seen the midfielder jump up the list of favourites to be named PFA Men’s Player of the Year.
At the start of the season, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne seemed to be running a one-man race for the award, racking up the assists, but Liverpool’s form has seen them start to dominate the top choices.
In fact, the Reds have four of the five favourites to win the award, one of whom is Henderson.
Sadio Mane is odds-on favourite with William Hill at 4/5, ahead of De Bruyne at 11/2. Then comes Henderson at 6/1, closely followed by Liverpool team-mates Trent Alexander Arnold (7/1) and Virgil van Dijk (12/1), who picked up the award last season.
