Liverpool have a player on their books whose long passing stats are the best in Europe, and it’s not who you might expect.
As you can see from the tweet below, Jordan Henderson has hit 116 completed long balls, more than Toni Kroos, Paul Pogba and Thiago Alcantara. While those three are known for their technical ability and all have a reputation for being able to spray the ball around, Henderson is not necessarily seen in the same way.
The former Sunderland man’s tough tackling and determined play in midfield mean that he’s usually considered more of a destroyer than a creator, but these stats are just another reminder of how much of a complete player Henderson is.
The 26 year old has developed consistently sine arriving at Anfield, and can now genuinely consider himself one of the best players in the league. His manager is always full of praise for him, and with numbers like this that’s no surprise.
Most long balls completed, Europe's top 5 leagues 2016/17:
J.Henderson (116)
B.Alves (114)
T.Kroos (107)
P.Pogba
D.Garcia
Thiago (all 101) pic.twitter.com/9IGC7irhge— Squawka Football (@Squawka) 18 January 2017