‘Love him’: Aaron Ramsdale leaps to defend £140k-a-week Liverpool man

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Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has offered a strong defence of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. He says he’s ‘underrated’.

Jordan Henderson is likely used to the criticism by now. The Liverpool captain has been getting stick for his entire career, first for not living up to Steven Gerrard’s standards, then for not being productive enough in midfield.

He’s always been a strange target. Henderson has now captained Liverpool through their most successful period since the 1980s. The midfielder has started every big game, too, and played a fundamental role in the middle.

In fact, Henderson went through a spell of nearly two years where the only Premier League ground he lost on was the Etihad. Liverpool have always been a better team with him in it.

And at the World Cup, we saw that for England, too. Gareth Southgate’s side stuttered before Henderson entered the starting XI, earning rave reviews in the process.

Now he’s earned another one, with Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale applauding Liverpool’s captain.

“He gets so disrespected because he doesn’t play all the nice stuff,” he told The Fellas podcast. “He runs like 12km a game, the way he talks to people on the pitch.

“The things he does do, he’ll play an unbelievable pass or cross, but it won’t really get talked about because he’s probably just done it once in the game. He’s properly underrated at England by the fans, not by the players.

“They love him.”

Jordan Henderson for Liverpool

Henderson has not been good enough for Liverpool this season, of course. Few players have been, though, and his World Cup displays suggest he’s not entirely the problem.

Some of the stick the £140k-a-week player gets is absolutely ridiculous, however, especially for a player who has achieved so much. You can’t be a regular starting player for a side that wins literally everything and not be in the very top class. It’s impossible.

It’s also telling that all of Henderson’s teammates echo Ramsdale’s thoughts and always have. He’s absolutely disrespected – and that might only change once he’s gone.