Jordan Henderson has insisted that a fresh start is exactly what Liverpool needs to relaunch their Premier League title bid.
Last season proved difficult for the Reds, who finished fifth and went trophyless. That was despite Liverpool coming close to completing a historic treble the previous season.
After a poor season, Jurgen Klopp made changes, particularly in his engine room. Liverpool shipped out five midfielders, including Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Fabinho.
Signing Alexis MacAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch signaled a season of upheaval at Anfield, but the Reds have defied expectations and launched a title drive. Henderson, who was now playing for Ajax after a questionable period in Saudi Arabia, was captain until that point, when Virgil van Dijk took over.
Speaking ahead of Ajax’s Conference League match against Aston Villa, ex-Liverpool player Henderson urged his former teammates to finish a “fairytale” season and praised Van Dijk’s captaincy. He told reporters, “I just hope the ending of the story is a fairytale for him, the boys, and the club because they all deserve it.” Last season was extremely difficult in many ways, both on and off the field, so I’m quite proud of them for doing so well this season.
“I was the captain for a long time there, and the entire team still seems like my greatest friends; they are my brothers for life, truly. I simply want to see them finish the season like they’ve been playing all year, with young players coming in as well. I hope they finish the season on a strong note and win as many awards as possible.
“I believe it was the correct time for me as a player, as well as for their squad and club, as much as it stung at the time. I was quite emotional. Looking back on that period of time, it is clear that the management and club made the correct decision.
“It was the ideal idea to change things up. If you look at Virgil (van Dijk) becoming captain, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) becoming vice-captain, and how they’ve stepped up this season, I believe it’s given them another boost. They’ve been two key players for the squad this season. As much as it pains me, I believe it was the right thing for the club and the team, as seen by their performances and overall success. “It’s football; you move on.”
