Following in the footsteps of Steven Gerrard was never going to be easy for whoever was made Liverpool captain.
It might not be a completely thankless task, but Gerrard left some incredibly big shoes to fill.
The man in question, Jordan Henderson, has now admitted that at times last season, he struggled with the armband because of his ongoing injuries.
The England international told the Guardian:
“I’ve never felt that I didn’t want the captaincy and never doubted I was the right person for it but there were times last season when I was very down because I wasn’t playing and I questioned my contribution as captain because of that.
“I couldn’t help on the pitch as I wanted to and so Milly [James Milner], as vice-captain, had to take the role on.”
Yet, Liverpool aren’t the only club whose captain isn’t always on the pitch, and in fact, it’s becoming more and more common.
Ledley King captained Tottenham for years regardless of his well-known knee problems, while over at Manchester City, Vincent Kompany still skippers the side even if he rarely plays.
While Jurgen Klopp isn’t short of senior players, he has persevered with Henderson, despite the fact that the midfielder made just 15 starts in the Premier League last season.
This time, he is hoping to put that kind of erraticism behind him with a run in the side, and he has featured in all three of the Reds’ opening games.
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