Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has revealed what it was like to play against Lionel Messi for the first time, during the Reds' Champions League semi-final against Barcelona last month.
The Reds overcame a 3-0 deficit at Anfield in the second leg of the tie, capping one of the most exciting nights in European football history. Barça bowed out of the competition after blowing a three-goal lead for the second consecutive year, following a humiliating breakdown against Roma in the 2018 quarter-finals.
#YNWA pic.twitter.com/tWhr8xFrpG
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) May 9, 2019
Ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, Henderson spoke with the Daily Mail about initially being left out of the line-up for the first leg of the tie, facing Messi for the first time and why he didn't swap shirts with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Henderson, who came on from the bench in the first-half of the first leg in Catalonia, said: "
"When you are the captain of Liverpool in a European semi-final, the team is the priority and always will be.
"You don’t think to yourself 'Oh my God - that’s him' but there’s no question he plays the game differently to when you see him on TV. He’s so fast."
Henderson also explained why he didn't swap shirts with the Argentine international following the match.
The midfielder added: "
Source : 90min