Henderson Could Reach Milestone Against Crystal Palace
Henderson — and some other Liverpool players — are chasing records against Crystal Palace
Should Jordan Henderson feature against Crystal Palace this weekend, he will captain Liverpool for the 200th time, becoming only the seventh player to ever reach that number.
Henderson succeeded Steven Gerrard as Liverpool captain in the 2015/16 season, and has certainly lifted silverware befitting a Liverpool captain.
After first appearing for Liverpool in August 2011, he finished the season having played more first team matches than any other outfield player according to LFC History, and he was later named the English U21 Player of the Year.
Before being given the captain’s armband, Henderson deputized for Gerrard often in the 2014/15 season, and had a disappointing first season as captain the following year, as his metatarsal injury had him often watching from the sidelines.
Gerrard has long been a supporter of Henderson as captain, and had strong words of encouragement for his successor upon the Sunderland man being voted Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year in 2020:
It’s no surprise to me how he’s handling himself on and off the pitch. Obviously, I played with him for numerous years with Liverpool and England.
A very fit, athletic boy who’s selfless in his approach on the pitch, puts everyone else above himself.
When you play alongside him you appreciate the job he does for the team and I think over the years he’s been developing parts of his game. His passing range now is fantastic. He’s always there for the team.
I’ve watched him grow as a human being with interest – he’s always been a great lad and a great team-mate. It’s no surprise now that people are starting to recognize what a man he is, both on and off the pitch. Every bit of praise he gets he deserves it because it’d true, and I can guarantee that because I’ve been alongside him.
In total, Henderson has played 396 games for Liverpool, and looks forward to joining 26 other Liverpool players who have made 400+ appearances for the club in all competitions.
At present, Henderson has the seventh-most games as Liverpool captain (199) after the likes of Sami Hyypia (204), Alex Raisbeck (267), Donald Mackinlay (293), Emlyn Hughes (335), Ron Yeats (416), and, of course, Steven Gerrard (472).
Henderson is not alone in looking for records tomorrow against Crystal Palace: Sadio Mané, who scored against Leeds United in the last league match, looks to score his 100th goal for the club — an achievement only 17 other players have accomplished. While his form has been up and down lately, Mané does love scoring against Palace, having scored in each of his last eight league appearances against the Eagles — no player has ever scored in nine consecutive games against a single opponent in the competition.
Joël Matip and Virgil Van Dijk, should they feature, will both reach 100 appearances for the club; should Liverpool win, it will be the 350th victory under manager Jürgen Klopp
Mohamed Salah, who seems never to be too far from a record lately, will make his 150th league appearance, and is two goals shy of 100 league goals (a feat only 11 other players have accomplished).
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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