Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has dedicated the club’s Premier League title win to former skipper and Anfield legend Steven Gerrard, who ended his own career without ever tasting such glory – although he came agonisingly close in 2014.
Gerrard won European trophies and domestic cups with Liverpool, most notably the Champions League in 2005 as he spearheaded that iconic comeback in Istanbul. But the Premier League title was the one that always eluded him.
Gerrard was part of Liverpool sides that finished second in the league in 2001/02, 2008/09 and finally 2013/14. In the latter season, his own costly slip in an infamous game against Chelsea and the team’s collapse against Crystal Palace a few days later snatched the title away at the death.
Now that Henderson has done what no Liverpool captain has done since 1990 and led a team to the summit of the English football mountain, he wants to pay tribute to Gerrard.
“I said this when I first took over the role of the captaincy, when people might have doubted me and criticised me as a person, but I will always say no one will replace Steven Gerrard at this club no matter who the captain is or what the team wins,” Henderson is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
“This is not only for us as players and for the fans. It is also for players like Stevie and Kenny [Dalglish] who mean so much to this club. I know how much it means to Stevie to win the Premier League,” the current skipper went on to say.
“I was devastated in 2014 that we couldn’t get over the line for him but I know he is so happy and so proud of this team to be able to bring the Premier League trophy to Liverpool. This one is quite personal for me and to do it for him is quite big.”
Liverpool sealed the 2019/20 title without even playing last week when Manchester City were beaten by Chelsea. The Reds will face City on Thursday and will receive a Guard of Honour from the deposed former champions when they enter the pitch at the Etihad Stadium.
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Source : 90min