Georginio Wijnaldum has singled out Jordan Henderson as the best leader he has played under, even though he admits the Liverpool captain can be ‘annoying’ at times.
Henderson was first appointed Reds skipper by then-manager Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2015 following Steven Gerrard’s departure to LA Galaxy.
Succeeding a club legend as captain appeared to weigh heavily on the midfielder’s shoulders early on, but he has without doubt grown into the role in recent seasons.
His leadership skills were key to last year’s run to Champions League glory, and have been equally evident as Liverpool have closed in on Premier League success this term.
It is a quality that Henderson’s teammates appreciate just as much as supporters, if Wijnaldum’s comments are anything to go by.
He told Sky Sports: “I've played with a few players who have great leadership, I have to say Kevin Strootman and Jordan Henderson were, I think, above the other ones.
“Mark Van Bommel was also a good leader and a good captain, but out of the three of them, I have to chose Henderson.
“It can be annoying [when he shouts at players], but if you think about why he's doing it, it's only to help you as a person and the team so if you think about it in that way, you always appreciate it so we are really happy with the way Henderson is.”
In Pictures | Tottenham vs Liverpool Champions League Final | 1/6/2019
Wijnaldum also paid tribute to another vital contributor to Liverpool’s midfield solidity and their winning mentality in James Milner.
On the vice-captain, he added: “His engine is unbelievable. I see it in the games and in training, the way he plays and how fit he is. I hope I can reach that level too.
“He's non-stop, I have to say when you play against him, it's really tough because Milner is the type of player who will never stop giving everything so you always have to be 100 per cent concentrated and have to give every time 100 per cent otherwise you will lose from him.
“He's a really tough competitor.”
