Jordan Henderson should win the Premier League Player of the Year award as he epitomises everything that is good about league leaders Liverpool, according to Damien Delaney.
The former Republic of Ireland international was speaking on Tuesday’s Off The Ball and explained how the Liverpool captain pushes his team to the next level.
“I think sometimes when Jordan Henderson passes the ball, even though it's a simple 15-yard pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold, he almost just quickens the game up.
“Because when it comes to Trent the pass comes with a message. It’s on the right side of him, it’s where he wants Trent to go in so far as to go forward.
“He passes it just a yard in front of his front foot and he passes it with pace where Trent will really have to focus to control it and get out in front.
“That’s what crisp passing does. It sets a great tempo for the team. It almost frightens the player into quickening it up,” Delaney said.
While the former Crystal Palace player believes Virgil van Dijk would be a bigger loss to Liverpool, he believes Henderson deserves the gong over his teammate.
“They could withstand [losing Henderson] by becoming a little bit different. So they can replace him but when he plays he takes that team to another level.
“Both of them do, without a shadow of a doubt. One way or the other Liverpool aren’t the same. But for me, Henderson is just relentless in what he does.
“He’d just frighten the life out of you if you were playing with him because he would just run - and he’d make you run. Then on the flip side, he frightens the opposition with his intensity,” Delaney commented.
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