Cody Gakpo has praised Jordan Henderson’s leadership qualities off the pitch following the midfielder’s move to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to the Athletic, the 24-year-old attacker revealed that Henderson was always asking Gakpo how he was and if he was settling in well at Liverpool, with the forward making the move to Merseyside this January.
And to the surprise of nobody, Henderson was seemingly excellent in helping Gakpo adapt to his new life in England, with the midfielder constantly talking to his new teammate about help off the pitch.
With Henderson now gone, a huge void has been left at Liverpool in terms of leaders, with Virgil van Dijk now the club’s new captain with Trent Alexander-Arnold named deputy for the new season.
Indeed, Henderson’s impact will be missed, and Gakpo’s comments on the former Liverpool man speak well for the type of character the midfielder is off the pitch, with the Dutchman saying: “Hendo was like a big brother.
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“He was always asking me how I was, if where I was living was OK, did I need anything? He was a real captain, inside the field and outside the field, always there for everybody, a great personality.”
Gakpo’s comments speak well of Henderson’s character
Henderson has rightly drawn criticism in recent weeks for his move to Saudi Arabia, yet comments from Gakpo still paint the former Liverpool captain as a player with good intentions in some aspects.
The midfielder was as big a presence for the club off the pitch than on it, and Henderson’s warmth towards Gakpo clearly helped the Dutch international settle at Liverpool when arriving in January.
With Henderson now gone, though, it’ll be up to the likes of Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold to take the best of the former captain and put it into their own practices.