Liverpool Must Sort out Jordan Henderson's Contract with Time to Spare
From match-winning performances to tentative transfer links with Barcelona, Jordan Henderson's growing prominence in Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side should make getting him to agree to a new contract at Anfield a priority before time and impending expiry make it a more pressing issue.
After a goal and an assist in Liverpool's most recent victory, a 2-0 win at home to Burnley in the Premier League, Henderson's status as one of the Reds' most important figures increased even further.
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This even saw a decidedly suspect link with a move to La Liga giants Barcelona materialise, as relayed by Jamie Sanderson of Metro.
The chances of Henderson moving to Barcelona seem incredibly slim, but the key notion in this link is that Henderson, with just under 18 months left on his current Liverpool deal, could leave the club on a free transfer in 2016.
Rodgers needs to ensure this doesn't happen and secure Henderson's long-term future.
Key Player
The most outstanding reason for this pressing need is how important Henderson has become to Rodgers' Liverpool side—the midfielder has played 2,356 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, more than any other Liverpool player.
Henderson has long been been Rodgers' workhorse, comfortably providing a relentless energy in the Liverpool midfield.
This has been a vital component of the Reds' high-intensity pressing game, but it is now just one facet of the 24-year-old's game, as statistical analysis shows.
Crucially, Henderson is also becoming a supreme creative talent, be it in probing forward or threading long passes from deep.
Henderson is the league's 11th-most prolific passer of the ball, averaging 58.8 per game, and within that select group the midfielder stands out as one of the most influential players in possession.
With an average of 1.7 key passes per game, Henderson is only bested by Samir Nasri (2.5), David Silva (2.5) and Cesc Fabregas (2.9).
Of that group, only Fabregas has made more assists (15) than Henderson, who has so far made seven, with this record leaving Henderson in joint-third in the league's overall assist charts.
Perhaps the most important statistic is that Liverpool are currently unbeaten in the Premier League with Henderson as captain—another reason why resolving his contract situation is so important
Liverpool's Next Captain
With Steven Gerrard set to leave Liverpool for LA Galaxy in the summer, vacating the Reds captaincy in the process, Henderson's position on Merseyside is made even more important.
As Rodgers' current vice-captain, Henderson is widely believed to be assuming the armband on a full-time basis next season.
This would be a popular decision among the Liverpool squad, as various testimonies outline.
Midfield colleague Adam Lallana recently detailed, via Sky Sports, just why Henderson is the prime candidate for the Liverpool captaincy next season, describing him as "unbelievable."
"He has matured as a player over the last two seasons and he has kicked on another level even with the armband," he said. "I was lucky enough to be captain at Southampton and it does give you that little bit extra and it seems it is doing the same to him."
From an outside perspective, former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish echoed Lallana's views in his column for the Mirror:
"He doesn’t replace Steven. Nobody will—you can forget ANYBODY coming in as a one-off replacement. He just takes over as captain when Steven leaves in the summer. Taking on the mantle doesn’t seem to faze Jordan.
[...]
Everybody sees the glamour side of being a footballer but not the other side - the sacrifices, dedication and determination that you have to make and have alongside that ability. ... [He is] a fantastic example to anybody.
"
Gerrard himself told James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo that: "Jordan has everything you need to be a great captain. He’s a fantastic professional who tries to lead by example in every training session and in every game."
These qualities, and his growing influence on the pitch, are leading to comparisons with the soon-to-be MLS star, but this is something Rodgers disagrees with wholly.
Henderson's Development
In his pre-Blackburn Rovers press conference on Friday, Rodgers refuted such comparisons, as relayed by Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo.
"You should stop putting pressure on a player like Jordan Henderson. Because they both take corners and shoot from outside the box doesn’t mean [Henderson] is the new Gerrard," Rodgers claimed. "He’s Jordan Henderson—he’s creating his own headlines."
There is no denying, however, that Henderson is progressing into an adept stand in for Gerrard.
This is largely due to the midfielder's development under Rodgers, where he has gone from ill-fitting outcast to one of the first names on the teamsheet—another reason why the manager must look to protect his asset.
Earlier in the season, for example, Henderson outlined his goals target for the Premier League campaign to the club's official website (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express): "Hopefully I can improve on last season and get into double figures."
Henderson is on four goals so far, and with 10 games to go and the midfielder on a run of a goal in each of his last two league games, there is every chance he can reach that target.
His strike against Burnley was hugely reminiscent of the long-range goals associated with Gerrard:
To progress into a midfielder of such immense technique, discipline and leadership is a testament to Rodgers' nurturing of Henderson, and for another club to reap the benefits would be a calamity.
This was a notion felt by Henderson's former club, Sunderland, when midfielder Jack Colback left for rivals Newcastle United on a free transfer after 14 years progressing through the club's ranks.
The club expressed their ire at the situation in a statement via their official website:
"Jack is a player we have nurtured and developed through our academy system since he was eight years old. ... For him to then leave the club that has supported him throughout his formative years in such a manner, with no chance for Sunderland to recover any of the significant investment that it has made in him as a player, has left a bitter taste.
"
Links with a move to Barcelona may be risible, but Brendan Rodgers must take them as a prompt and sort out Jordan Henderson's Liverpool contract with time to spare.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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