What makes a great football captain? Is it the best player in the team or the most consistent? The loudest voice or the best communicator? Someone who plays with their heart or their head? The person who leads by example on the pitch or off it? In truth, ideally it is a combination of all of these things, and more besides. Names like Tony Adams, Roy Keane, Wes Morgan, Vincent Kompany and Steven Gerrard often feature in discussions of the Premier League’s greatest captains. These are players who not only won trophies for their clubs but also led their teams physically and emotionally – they became, in a way, extensions of the badge. Tony Adams was Arsenal, Roy Keane was Manchester United, Wes Morgan was Leicester City. They were the figureheads for their clubs, undoubted leaders on the pitch with personas that matched. Each had his own style, his own challenges to face and each left an enviable footballing legacy. These are big boots to fill, but arguably Jordan Henderson has not only filled these boots but made them even bigger.

NHL Hall of Famer Joe Sakic said, ‘A… team needs a voice, not only in the community, but more importantly between the coaching staff and the players.’ Whilst the triptych remains – players, staff, community – the emphasis on community has grown in recent years, not least as a result of the pandemic. And Henderson’s voice has been at the forefront of bridging a link not only with Liverpool fans, or even football fans, but with wider society, through his work on the #PlayersTogether NHS initiative and fund. If there is one takeaway from Henderson’s recent autobiography, it is that he is quick to pass the plaudits around; like any great leader, he honours the work of others and downplays his own role. Yet Henderson was at the heart of football’s rallying for the NHS and, coupled with the incredible success under his captaincy at Liverpool, which has included the full gamut of top-tier trophies on offer – Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup – the former won for the first time in three decades for the Reds, the latter won for the first time ever – his is a legacy that carries exceptional significance not only on the pitch but beyond football, not only in Liverpool but nationwide.

In many ways, Henderson’s impressive leadership has made him not only a figurehead for his club but a figurehead for the football community and he’s a warm, likeable and modest one at that, as evidenced throughout the compelling autobiography. Indeed, had Henderson had his way, this book, rather than bearing his name, would have been titled With or Without Me. No, it’s not a homage to U2’s ‘With or Without You’ but rather an acknowledgement of Henderson’s belief that Liverpool’s success would have happened with, or more importantly without, him. This may come across as false modesty from some and I’m not sure there would be many other Premier League and Champions League winners who would be so quick to write off their influence, but from Henderson it’s a genuine marker of the man – his lack of pretension, his sense of humility and his respect for his peers. I suspect, though, that while Henderson believes the success could have happened without him, his teammates, fans and manager would vehemently argue the toss. After all, Henderson has been at the beating heart of Liverpool’s midfield (and even, when called up on, their defence) for over a decade. That’s an impressive enough feat at any team but to hold down that place in a side that has been repeatedly challenging for domestic and European honours speaks of just how integral and valued he is.

It is easy to forget too that Henderson and his career was in its relative infancy when he arrived at Anfield from Sunderland in 2011 and the task of making his mark and forcing his way into a Reds side looking to recreate Liverpool’s glory days would have daunted many. Henderson not only battled it out, but he turned around perceptions and then stepped up to fill perhaps the biggest void in recent Liverpool history when the iconic Steven Gerrard left. Henderson’s autobiography is testament to his determination, his endeavour and his responsibility. There’s also an incredible maturity, a willingness to accept his flaws and crucially work at them and to understand the importance of the team and to play his part.

There is much to enjoy in the book about life at Liverpool, the early days of Klopp’s reign, struggles with injury, memorable nights (for different reasons) in Kyiv and Madrid and that compelling first Premier League title in thirty years, but what defines Henderson are his values and his ethos. He speaks eloquently and honestly on everything from the pressures of social media and the challenges of criticism to racism, the failed Super League and the privileges of being a footballer. His words carry weight, as do his actions, and on and off the pitch he epitomises what it means to be a captain, what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a role model. With him, Liverpool have experienced one of their most successful periods in history – a coincidence, I think not. Without him, this would have been a very different story.

With or without him? I suspect Liverpool fans would say with him, 100%.

Jade Craddock

(Publisher: Michael Joseph. October 2022. Hardcover: 336 pages)

Buy the book here: Jordan Henderson