David Meyler has warned that while not everyone recognises the greatness of Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, he thinks his success illustrates the rewards which come from hard work and determination.
"When you speak about Jordan, I think that's testament to his mentality. I know he has a lot of doubters. A lot of people think he's not great. He's a superb footballer," he told OTB AM hours before the Liverpool captain was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.
"Is he on the level of a Kevin De Bruyne? No [In terms of ability]. Is there any player in the world who plays midfield on that level? No," he added before praising the resilience he showed to break into Liverpool's first team and become the player who he is today.
'A lot of people think he's not great - he's a superb footballer... People should look up to him...'
David Meyler pays tribute to his former teammate and the new FWA Footballer of the Season - Jordan Henderson #LFC#OTBAM is association with @gilletteuk | #MadeOfWhatMatters pic.twitter.com/BOCvRZgdty— Off The Ball (@offtheball) July 24, 2020
"When you look at Jordan, it's a testament to his character and the type of person he is. The way he pushes himself... For anyone who is young trying to carve out a career in the game, he's the fella that you should look at. Hard work and desire get you a lot of the way," he concluded.
The pair became friends while playing together at Sunderland.
Jordan Henderson won the award ahead of Kevin De Bruyne in second place, Marcus Rashford in third, while his Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mané completed the top five.
Henderson celebrations
The former-Ireland international revealed that he was in contact with Henderson to check if he was fit enough to do his patented cup-lifting shuffle and whether he'd be going full 'John Terry' and getting kitted-out for the cup presentation.
He supported his decision to get into his matchday gear for the iconic moment.
Meyler, who is a self-confessed Liverpool fan, recalled his feelings as he saw his buddy lift the trophy:
"Watching him lift it I was tremendously proud of him. I was so happy for him, it's a huge honor. The 12 months he has had, winning the Champions League, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup, and the Premier League and to captain them and lift all the trophies is just phenomenal stuff really."
