When Jordan Henderson finally gets his hands on the Premier League trophy on July 22, he will join a very exclusive Liverpool club.
Only three former Reds players have led the team to both the championship and the European Cup.
Emlyn Hughes did it in the 1970s. Phil Thompson followed at the turn of the next decade. And Graeme Souness did the trick shortly afterwards.
Henderson trumped them all by leading Liverpool to the World Champion crown in Qatar in December.
And Souness, who knew a thing or two about how to make life difficult for opponents, admits that he wouldn’t enjoy competing against the Red midfielder.
“Jordan is doing a great job putting the team in the first place,” said the Liverpool legend. “He’s not the silky one on the ball, but he does an incredible job, as does Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho and James Milner when he plays.”
“They work. They set the precedent for the rest of the group. They surpass anyone they compete against.
“They bully people in a way that is allowed today by being just so aggressive and never giving opponents the chance to raise their heads by putting pressure on them.
“Jordan has probably only got the credit he deserves since winning the Champions League.
“Playing against him would not be a pleasant day in the office. He will be after you forever, you would have to master the physical challenge directly.
“The way he and the other midfielders play is contagious. It is this attitude of never dying, they never feel beaten. And that’s what Liverpool is all about. “
While the strikers have received many hymns of praise this season and the defense – the recent defeat in Manchester City a rare variation – has been a basis for success, Souness believes the key is in the engine room.
“Liverpool play in a way that they play steamroller teams,” he told ECHO in collaboration with Sky Sports.
“Midfield sets the pace and people often overlook that because they’re looking at the magical thing of the first three or Van Dijk looks so majestic in the back or Trent and Andy Robertson are almost in midfield and not in full-back.”
“It’s easy to miss the midfielders. But many people say games are won and lost there. If you’re not on the ball first, you’re on the back foot. And these Liverpool midfielders get the ball more than most. “
* The Premier League will continue at Sky Sports. Liverpool’s home game against Aston Villa will be broadcast live on Sunday at 4:15 p.m.
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