Jamie Carragher says Liverpool decision Jurgen Klopp signed off on is really concerning him now

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Jamie Carragher has shared his concerns about the length of the contract Jordan Henderson signed at Liverpool.

He wrote in the Telegraph that it seemed like a departure from the strategy which had made the club so successful in recent years.

Liverpool have slipped miles below the standards we have come to expect from them in recent years, and Henderson has not been at his normal level.

Carragher wonders whether the four-year deal Henderson signed in August 2021 may have caused some disharmony behind the scenes.

Carragher on Henderson contract

He said: “Some contract renewals have also become contentious. Everyone was thrilled when Klopp and Salah signed new deals last year. But rewind to the summer of 2021 and Liverpool rewarded 31-year-old captain Jordan Henderson with a four-year deal.

“Henderson has given Liverpool sterling service, but the length of that contract was a surprise, contradicting FSG’s policies on players in their 30s. There was an obvious change of tack after Klopp personally intervened following reports that Henderson might leave.

“Within 24 hours of an agreement, sporting director Michael Edwards was reported as considering his future, and has since left. The timing was probably coincidental, but there were strong suggestions – not contradicted – that there were internal disagreements about the length and value of Henderson’s extension.

“That worried me at the time and has worried me more when hearing the echoes whenever Klopp speaks about the future of Roberto Firmino and James Milner. Klopp has openly said Liverpool need to refresh and reset, but he seems unwilling to accept Firmino’s declining influence and increasing injury problems, while Milner has been a bit-part player for years.”

It seems that Klopp has been handed growing influence going into this season, and that has been a break from the more collegiate approach of recent years.

That cannot be the only reason Liverpool are struggling right now, but it also does not help, and the manager has taken on more responsibility at a time when he is handling a crisis at his club.

Henderson’s personality and leadership should be key to pulling Liverpool out of their current mess, with the Merseyside derby up next on Monday night.