27 July 2023 , 14:57
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on Jordan Henderson after his move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq and laid bare what qualities his replacement will need.
The former Reds captain had spent 12 years at Anfield, winning every club honour there is to win while donning the armband and establishing himself as one of the best leaders in Premier League history. With that being said, there had long been question marks over Henderson's technical ability and whether he could really be considered one of the best in his role.
But as he bids farewell to Merseyside Klopp has quashed any doubts some may have over his former skipper's talent, insisting that Henderson would not have been able to function at the standard he did for so long without supreme on the ball ability.
"There is the physical part, but there is the super-technical part. He is technically really, really good. Which sometimes players, because of the role they see themselves [in] on the pitch, this fighter and stuff like this, don't always show," Klopp explained.
"You cannot have this amount of Premier League games, you cannot be captain of Liverpool, you cannot play in the most important games in the world if you are technically not on a super-high level - and he is. Right foot, left foot really good. "
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The Reds manager also seemed to send a hint over what he'll be looking for when it comes to landing a Henderson replacement. Klopp clearly values any player that can be deployed in a number of different roles and thrive, something that England international excelled at.
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Klopp added: "Tactically he improved the most since we are here, had to play different positions, did that really well. Even played centre-half for us. Had to play No.6, I thought he played a few outstanding games on six."
The German is now in a unique position where, despite being the longest serving manager in the league, he has to name a Liverpool captain for the first time. Back when Klopp arrived in October 2015, Henderson was already the skipper and it remained that way throughout.
Liverpool have already made some high-profile additions to their midfield this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining for a combined fee of £105million.
With that being said, neither of the aforementioned duo really possess all of the same attributes that Henderson brought to the Reds squad. And with that in mind, it is likely that Klopp has to dip into the transfer fund once again to land the signature of someone with a more similar profile to his recently departed captain.
If his replacement can enjoy an Anfield stay even half as successful as Henderson's, there's no doubt it would have been money well spent.