The intensity of the new season is underway, and following how Jurgen Klopp’s charges have swept away opponents and subsequently sit on top of the log at the moment, one can’t but wonder if it could finally be Liverpool’s turn for much and long deserved glory this season.
Anfield is yet to have the EPL title held aloft inside it, but recent performances make such scenario a very possible occurrence come May 2017.
Liverpool boast of incredible talents within its ranks and each of the regulars has played key roles in the club’s cause since the start of 2016-17 season.
But while the Coutinho, Firmino and Mane get to be shown deserved recognitions and showered with all the praises there are, a certain player that acts as the engine room that keeps this ship cruising at unparalleled speed often gets overlooked.
Club’s captain and midfielder Jordan Henderson is unarguably Liverpool’s most underrated player at the moment. He isn’t a dribbler, so Mane and Firmino share the shine in that aspect.
Coutinho is a better player than he is when it comes to long distance shots/goals, while the movement and mobility of Lallana means nobody is going to give poor Henderson a look as he isn’t the most entertaining and that much a delight to watch in the Liverpool team.
However, he is actually the glue that firmly holds Liverpool’s midfield together, and he is the important link that connects play from the Reds rearguard to the attackers in the final third.
What he lacks in exquisite skills, showboating, slick flicks and tricks, he makes up for with his unrivalled work rate. This term, not a single player in the top flight has completed more passes (800) or made more tackles (47) than Jordan Henderson.
Additionally to the testament of his influence in the middle of the pitch for Liverpool, that the 26-year-old has had most touches (1,078) and covered most distance (131.3km) point to how important he has been to the Merseyside club.
Despite playing at the base of midfield and constantly dropping deep to cover for the full-backs whenever they launch attacks down the flanks, the England international has weighed in a goal, created 2 assists and made 14 key passes while appearing in all of Liverpool’s 11 Premier League games till date.
Henderson is already the best there is in his position, and how impressive he is set to become as he gets better under the tutelage of one of the finest player-development manager is anyone’s guess.
With Liverpool set to finish in top 4 or even get their hands on the top prize, the midfielder is a potential and most likely contender for the PFA Player of the Year award.
His contributions to the team’s success are bound to be immense considering how impressive the early numbers are. If there is a player Liverpool would most miss his influence while absent due to various reasons, it is none other than Jordan.
He would sure emerge as one of the best players in the EPL for the 2016-17 season and some seasons to come, but just like his inputs into the new-found success of the club is being undermined, Henderson is bound to be the top unsung contender for the PFA prize this season.