Jordan Henderson comment: Liverpool FC captaincy talk has complicated getting new contract sorted
James Pearce on the Reds' in-form midfielder who will be a free agent in 15 months with talks stalled
Jordan Henderson's stock continues to rise unabated,
“He’s becoming the complete midfielder,” purred Kop legend Phil Thompson.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers said: “For me he is just improving every single day.”
Once again at the Liberty Stadium on Monday night Henderson stood to take the acclaim of the travelling Kop. It’s becoming a familiar sight.
Yes, there was a slice of luck attached to his match-winning contribution against Swansea City as Jordi Amat’s clearance deflected off him and looped beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
But it was reward for Henderson’s perseverance, never-say-die attitude and desire to burst forward into menacing positions.
Henderson has proved this season that he offers so much more than just energy and athleticism. His tally of six goals and 11 assists is testament to his growing ability to influence games in the final third.
He has embraced the extra responsibility given to him by Rodgers since he was appointed vice-captain back in September.
On the 14 occasions he has been skipper, Liverpool are unbeaten and he’s the leading contender to be Steven Gerrard's successor when the Reds’ talisman heads for Los Angeles this summer.
Henderson’s popularity among supporters is soaring – that fraught first season at Anfield when he resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights an increasingly distant memory.
At the age of 24 and with 175 appearances for the club already under his belt, the stage is set for Henderson to spearhead a bright future for the Reds under Rodgers.
There is just one problem. In 15 months time Henderson will be a free agent.
There is a big gap between what Henderson wants and what Reds are offering
Jordan Henderson signs for Liverpool pictured with Damien Comolli
The five-year deal he signed when he arrived in a £16million deal from Sunderland in the summer of 2011 is running down.
Talks over a new contract have stalled. There is a significant gap between the amount of cash Henderson’s representative is demanding and what Liverpool have put on the table.
Currently on £65,000 per week, the Reds offered him £80,000 per week. That was swiftly rejected with Henderson wanting around £120,000 per week.
Liverpool have a headache because all the talk about the captaincy has complicated matters.
In five months time Henderson could be leading the Reds into the 2015/16 campaign. As a result his camp insist he should command a similar kind of salary to the outgoing Gerrard and be among the club’s highest earners.
Liverpool don’t agree. Rodgers isn’t involved in contract negotiations but publicly he has recently played down talk of Henderson being the heir to Gerrard’s throne.
The Reds boss said there were “no guarantees” that Henderson would be the next captain and dismissed comparisons with the club’s current skipper.
“Everyone is trying to catapult him into the next Steven Gerrard and he is not that,” Rodgers said.
“They are totally different. Steven is one of the best players of all time in the Premier League. Jordan is a young guy and wonderful talent but a different type of player.”
Anfield officials remain confident agreement will be reached
Liverpool are waiting on Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling to sign new deals - but the situation is different
It’s a tricky situation. Considering the riches sloshing around in the modern game, a £15,000 per week pay hike does seem stingy considering Henderson’s growing importance to the Reds and development over the past four years.
Part of the issue is that the basic wage Henderson was given back in 2011 was significantly more than he merited at that time.But that shouldn’t stop Liverpool from paying him the going rate now.
Despite the current stand-off, Anfield officials remain confident that an agreement will be reached over the coming months.
It’s certainly a very different scenario to the one involving clubmate Raheem Sterling, who has snubbed a £100,000 per week contract offer.
Sorting out the future of Sterling, whose current deal expires in 2017, has been problematic because his agent Aidy Ward is in the process of splitting from Impact Sports Management and setting up a new agency. Ward has also been demanding £150,000 per week amid growing fears that he’s trying to drum up interest in Sterling from elsewhere.
There is goodwill on all sides to find a solution
Brendan Rodgers
The club enjoy a good relationship with Henderson’s agent Neil Fewings from Wasserman Media Group. There are no concerns at Liverpool that Fewings is looking to move him on and Henderson himself wants to stay put.
Henderson knows how much he has benefited from Rodgers’ guidance with all those hours on the Melwood training ground giving him the tactical intelligence to maximise his talents.
For all the criticism of Liverpool being slow to get contract renewals sorted, the only player Rodgers has lost during his reign who he wanted to keep was Luis Suarez, who ironically had penned a new long-term deal just six months earlier.
Henderson knows he’s in the right place to further his development but that loyalty can’t be taken for granted.
The sooner a compromise can be agreed the better. Captain or not, Henderson has proved he belongs at Anfield.
James Pearce on the Reds' in-form midfielder who will be a free agent in 15 months with talks stalled
Jordan Henderson's stock continues to rise unabated,
“He’s becoming the complete midfielder,” purred Kop legend Phil Thompson.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers said: “For me he is just improving every single day.”
Once again at the Liberty Stadium on Monday night Henderson stood to take the acclaim of the travelling Kop. It’s becoming a familiar sight.
Yes, there was a slice of luck attached to his match-winning contribution against Swansea City as Jordi Amat’s clearance deflected off him and looped beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
But it was reward for Henderson’s perseverance, never-say-die attitude and desire to burst forward into menacing positions.
Henderson has proved this season that he offers so much more than just energy and athleticism. His tally of six goals and 11 assists is testament to his growing ability to influence games in the final third.
He has embraced the extra responsibility given to him by Rodgers since he was appointed vice-captain back in September.
On the 14 occasions he has been skipper, Liverpool are unbeaten and he’s the leading contender to be Steven Gerrard's successor when the Reds’ talisman heads for Los Angeles this summer.
Henderson’s popularity among supporters is soaring – that fraught first season at Anfield when he resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights an increasingly distant memory.
At the age of 24 and with 175 appearances for the club already under his belt, the stage is set for Henderson to spearhead a bright future for the Reds under Rodgers.
There is just one problem. In 15 months time Henderson will be a free agent.
There is a big gap between what Henderson wants and what Reds are offering
The five-year deal he signed when he arrived in a £16million deal from Sunderland in the summer of 2011 is running down.
Talks over a new contract have stalled. There is a significant gap between the amount of cash Henderson’s representative is demanding and what Liverpool have put on the table.
Currently on £65,000 per week, the Reds offered him £80,000 per week. That was swiftly rejected with Henderson wanting around £120,000 per week.
Liverpool have a headache because all the talk about the captaincy has complicated matters.
In five months time Henderson could be leading the Reds into the 2015/16 campaign. As a result his camp insist he should command a similar kind of salary to the outgoing Gerrard and be among the club’s highest earners.
Liverpool don’t agree. Rodgers isn’t involved in contract negotiations but publicly he has recently played down talk of Henderson being the heir to Gerrard’s throne.
The Reds boss said there were “no guarantees” that Henderson would be the next captain and dismissed comparisons with the club’s current skipper.
“Everyone is trying to catapult him into the next Steven Gerrard and he is not that,” Rodgers said.
“They are totally different. Steven is one of the best players of all time in the Premier League. Jordan is a young guy and wonderful talent but a different type of player.”
Anfield officials remain confident agreement will be reached
It’s a tricky situation. Considering the riches sloshing around in the modern game, a £15,000 per week pay hike does seem stingy considering Henderson’s growing importance to the Reds and development over the past four years.
Part of the issue is that the basic wage Henderson was given back in 2011 was significantly more than he merited at that time.But that shouldn’t stop Liverpool from paying him the going rate now.
Despite the current stand-off, Anfield officials remain confident that an agreement will be reached over the coming months.
It’s certainly a very different scenario to the one involving clubmate Raheem Sterling, who has snubbed a £100,000 per week contract offer.
Sorting out the future of Sterling, whose current deal expires in 2017, has been problematic because his agent Aidy Ward is in the process of splitting from Impact Sports Management and setting up a new agency. Ward has also been demanding £150,000 per week amid growing fears that he’s trying to drum up interest in Sterling from elsewhere.
There is goodwill on all sides to find a solution
The club enjoy a good relationship with Henderson’s agent Neil Fewings from Wasserman Media Group. There are no concerns at Liverpool that Fewings is looking to move him on and Henderson himself wants to stay put.
Henderson knows how much he has benefited from Rodgers’ guidance with all those hours on the Melwood training ground giving him the tactical intelligence to maximise his talents.
For all the criticism of Liverpool being slow to get contract renewals sorted, the only player Rodgers has lost during his reign who he wanted to keep was Luis Suarez, who ironically had penned a new long-term deal just six months earlier.
Henderson knows he’s in the right place to further his development but that loyalty can’t be taken for granted.
The sooner a compromise can be agreed the better. Captain or not, Henderson has proved he belongs at Anfield.
