Ahead of his side’s clash with Leicester City, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has revealed the mental demons he encountered throughout last season.
The midfielder experienced an injury-plagued campaign in 2015-16, after being named by then-boss Brendan Rodgers as successor of club legend Steven Gerrard to captain the Reds.
Following the appointment of Jurgen Klopp, many critics pushed for the incoming manager to designate a new leader after Henderson had failed to recapture past form in the latter part of the season.
READ MORE: Liverpool legend says Jordan Henderson not good enough to be captain
Speaking out for the first time, the 26-year-old admits that he did indeed question himself.
“I’ve never felt that I didn’t want the captaincy but there were times last season when I was very down because I wasn’t playing and I questioned my contribution as captain because of that,” Henderson said.
“I couldn’t help on the pitch as I wanted to and so Milly [James Milner], as vice-captain, had to take the role on.
“It was a very difficult time and I was down. There were a lot of things going through my head and though there was never a time when I didn’t want the captaincy or doubted whether I was the right man for it, there were times when it was hard to feel like the captain because I wasn’t contributing on the pitch.”
Henderson is now confident that he has overcome these doubts. He has experienced an improved opening to the 2016-17 season, playing every minute for the Reds so far.
The English international thanked Jurgen Klopp for his support and this renewed positivity, as the German continues to leave his mark on the Merseyside club.
“I feel as though I’ve come through that now.
“I have a good relationship with the manager and what he was saying to me was the total opposite to what other people were saying and writing.
“He knew what was going on. I still don’t think he has seen the best of me yet, which I’m quite excited about.”
Liverpool will do battle with the champions this weekend, in their first clash in front of the new main stand at Anfield.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
