Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has given some insight into Jurgen Klopp’s early key message to his players that has sparked the club’s huge improvement in the last few years.
The Reds have become a dominant force in the Premier League, taking a 25-point lead at the top of the table before the season had to be suspended due to the coronavirus crisis.
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Liverpool are also reigning European Champions after their superb form in the Champions League last season, which included a stunning comeback from 3-0 down on aggregate to triumph 4-0 in that semi-final second leg against Barcelona.
Liverpool under Klopp have had many big comebacks like that, with Henderson telling Sky Sports that the German tactician immediately set the tone for how he wanted his side to fight until the end with his key message to his players.
“That mentality and resilience within us this season has been massive,” he said.
“I feel that’s something the manager tried to instil in the squad when he first came in. When he first arrived, I remember him talking about never stopping and never changing your mentality within a game.
“I remember him saying right from the very beginning, no matter what the score, to keep going until the very end as you never know what can happen in football. If I look back at the games he’s been here I think of the game against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League.
“I feel it’s been a progression over a few years and not just one season. This year has been massive in terms of how consistent we’ve been, but I feel it’s been a work in progress and now it’s just part of our identity to never change the mentality until the game is finished.”
Henderson also provided an intriguing insight into *those* much-mocked celebrations after a 2-2 draw at home to West Brom.
“Looking back at that West Brom game, it wasn’t about the result,” he explained. “It was more about the mentality, and that’s when the manager could start to see a change. There were tough moments within that game, but he was happy with the way we reacted.
“The manager is always looking at how we react to conceding goals or losing momentum. It’s always about how you react, and the manager is always looking for that. It’s been a really big part of our game for a long time now.”