Danny Murphy hails Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson

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Danny Murphy has hailed Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson and believes he’s developed into a “complete midfielder”.

The Reds signed him from Sunderland for £20million (BBC) back in 2011 and he had the difficult task of eventually taking over from club icon Steven Gerrard as the leader on the pitch.

But the 29-year-old has blossomed under manager Jurgen Klopp to become a mainstay in the team and also lift the Champions League last season.

The central midfielder is an ever-present this campaign in a Liverpool side that are running away with it at the top of the Premier League and look destined for the title.

BBC pundit Murphy insists that Henderson has grown so much as a player and feels he’s far better now on the ball.

“At 29, he has grown into a complete midfielder, and is a fantastic example of someone making the absolute maximum out of their ability,” Murphy told BBC Sport.

“Henderson’s reliability is one of the things that makes him stand out – he is an extremely consistent performer. His athleticism is a big reason for that.

“His influence and ability to lead others has just grown and grown over the past couple of seasons, and so has his quality on the ball. Again, it is not something that has just happened recently but, as his confidence has grown, his range of passing has increased and he is now more productive and creative.”

TBR’s View:

Henderson has often been criticised during his time at Anfield and at times laughed at, but nobody is laughing at him now.

He is captain of arguably the best club team in the world right now and there are several parts of his game that are underrated.

He’s shown he can play in deeper or offensive midfield positions and there is no doubt he’s a real driving force on the pitch with his leadership.

Henderson isn’t one of the star-studded names likes some his teammates, but deserves credit for taking his game up another level and performing well consistently.