Liverpool have finally come of age domestically this season, and with the title a foregone conclusion for the Reds, defender Joe Gomez has lauded one particular player.
Captain, Jordan Henderson, has been a driving force under Jurgen Klopp, fully justifying the decision to hand him the armband, and Gomez believes the former Sunderland man is a real leader in the truest sense.
“He has started to get the recognition he deserves,” Gomez is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.
“So much credit has got to be given to Hendo. He is an unbelievable character for me. I’m blessed to have had a captain like him over the last five years, [he’s] just been the most approachable person possible and been such a leader in different ways, on and off the pitch.
“You see the leader on the pitch, the person that leads by example, but I think off it some of the things he has done and organised have been massive.”
Given how important ‘Hendo’ is to the team now, it’s hard to recall a time when he was the subject of ridicule, for both club and country.
He would likely be the first to admit that he doesn’t possess the silky skills or lightning-quick pace of some of his contemporaries, but what he does have in abundance is a propensity for hard work.
A real warrior in Liverpool’s midfield, he will happily stand toe-to-toe with his opponent for 90 minutes, and they’ll have to work as hard as they ever have if they want to get the better of him.
Desire, heart, bravery… all neatly sum up a player who will shortly be Liverpool’s first title-winning captain in three decades.