Jordan Henderson questioned Liverpool captaincy last season but credits Jurgen Klopp for turnaround

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Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has admitted that he questioned his captaincy last season, but has insisted that uncertainty has now gone.

The 26-year-old was asked to step in after the departure of long-time skipper Steven Gerrard, and through a combination of injuries, lack of form and the pressure in the role, it didn’t work out well for him last year.

In turn, it’s no surprise to hear him talk about his lack of confidence and self-belief to be Liverpool captain, as he conceded he felt “very down” last season.

“I couldn’t help on the pitch as I wanted to and so Milly [James Milner], as vice-captain, had to take the role on,” he told reporters.

“It was a very difficult time and I was down. There were a lot of things going through my head and though there was never a time when I didn’t want the captaincy or doubted whether I was the right man for it, there were times when it was hard to feel like the captain because I wasn’t contributing on the pitch.”

However, Henderson has insisted that with the help of boss Jurgen Klopp, he feels as though he has turned the situation around and the fact that he has played every minute of the campaign thus far will be a massive help in that process.

While he’ll be desperate to keep that run going and ensure that he becomes a pivotal part of the Reds line-up in the upcoming months, he has praised Klopp for the impact that he has had on him.

“I feel as though I’ve come through that now,” he added. “I have a good relationship with the manager and what he was saying to me was the total opposite to what other people were saying and writing.”

Time will tell as to whether or not the former Sunderland ace has put his troubles behind him, but it certainly sounds as though he’s in a better frame of mind this season compared to last.

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