Steven Gerrard: 'Selfless' Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson a role model for young kids

Skipper: Jordan Henderson
REUTERS
David Lynch16 April 2020

Jordan Henderson has been hailed as a ‘role model’ by Steven Gerrard for helping coordinate a Premier League-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Liverpool captain is the brains behind the #PlayersTogether initiative, which will see top-flight footballers collaborate in generating much-needed funds for the NHS during the battle against Covid-19.

News of the scheme emerged shortly after health secretary Matt Hancock called on Premier League stars to ‘play their part’, but talks over its creation had already long been taking place thanks to Henderson.

And for Rangers boss Gerrard, that says everything about the man who succeeded him as Reds skipper.

“That just sums him up as a person,” he told Sky Sports’ ‘The Football Show’.

“I remember he came into Liverpool as a shy lad from Sunderland and his family asked me to keep an eye on him and look after him.

“He's a very selfless person, on and off the pitch; he was an absolute dream to play with because of his energy. I'm certainly one that's always sung his praises because I appreciated the job he did in the team.

“I think he's got better and better from a football point of view but, as a person, what he's done over the last couple of weeks just sums the human being up.

“He's a fantastic man and he's become a top-class midfielder. Everything he earns in the game and every accolade he gets both on and off the pitch, he certainly deserves it.

“He's an absolute role model to a lot of young kids.”

Footballers Buzz Cuts during Coronavirus

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Of course, it is not just off the pitch where Henderson has impressed this season.

Prior to football’s coronavirus-enforced shutdown, the England midfielder had established himself as a key cog in a team that had opened up a 25-point gap at the top of the Premier League.

And it is a mental strength embodied by the skipper that has most impressed Gerrard during a dominant campaign from Jurgen Klopp’s men.

He added: “They've been phenomenal for a few years now.

“I thought last year they were very unlucky not to be champions, I think that was down to how good Manchester City were.

“But they just seem to be getting better and stronger every single year. I think the one key thing that's blown me away [compared to] when I played what they seem to have now is the mental strength across the board.

“We used to have some real good professionals and really mentally strong players within our squad, but it seems as if from No.1 in the squad to player 26, mentally they're all monsters and they're all on the same page.

“To have a squad that's got that mentality, I'm really excited to watch them in the coming years as well because I think they've got an absolutely fantastic opportunity to become a very successful Liverpool team and that's what we all want as Liverpool fans.”

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