Liverpool fans were surprised to hear that club captain Jordan Henderson nearly left the club in 2012 and were grateful that the 29-year-old stayed with the club.
Henderson admitted to TalkSport that Liverpool nearly negotiated a deal with Fulham that would have seen Henderson head to Fulham in an exchange deal for Clint Dempsey. Henderson spoke about how the Reds were “keen on Dempsey and Brendan Rodgers gave Fulham a list of players we could swap with them. I wasn’t on the list, but Fulham wanted me. Brendan gave me the option to leave or fight and I decided to fight.”
Reds fans will no doubt be happy that the midfielder, who signed from Sunderland in 2011, has gone on to establish himself in the Liverpool side and lifted the Champions League as captain last summer. The 29-year-old has made 339 appearances for the Reds in his eight years at the club, scoring 26 goals in that time, as well as captaining.
Reaction from Liverpool fans to Henderson’s near exit can be seen in the tweets below.
Hendo is really a fighter
— PRINCE ABAIDOO #YNWA (@princeabaidooy1) November 14, 2019
You can never fault Henderson’s character & attitude, its one of the reasons Klopp likes him so much.
— Moves_Like_Salah (@MovesLikeSa11ah) November 14, 2019
My captain
— (@aaronmcnaIIy) November 14, 2019
Being a rugby fan my dad used to always sqy captains in footbal don’t impact the game as much. This was the case after Gerrard…until now. Henderson has proven to be everything a captain should be. #LFC #mycaptain
— Rikaz Rumy (@mrikazr) November 14, 2019
Good Man
— Funk mad (@Andmad54Pop) November 14, 2019
Thanks Rodgers for this.
Sometimes players do need a push— Furqan Aull@kh (@fabby_shabby) November 14, 2019
Mad that.
— Kop Clobber (@Kop_Clobber) November 14, 2019
Reds fans are clearly delighted that Henderson decided to stay and fight for his place.
What do we think?
Henderson is clearly a leader in the Liverpool squad and has established himself as a fans’ favourite in his eight years at the club. The England midfielder hasn’t made his best start to the season; averaging a 6.69 rating, but has proved his importance to the squad and is a worthy captain of the Reds.
Liverpool fans will, of course, be hoping to see the 29-year-old lift the Premier League trophy in May.