Club favourite Xabi Alonso has claimed that Jordan Henderson is Liverpool's key player, as the Reds seek to challenge Man City for the Premier League title again this season.
The former Spanish international made 210 appearances on Merseyside between 2004 to 2009, before moving on to Real Madrid for £30 million. The deep-lying playmaker was a fan favourite, helping the club to win the Champions League and FA Cup during his time with the club.
Whereas the names Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane usually spring to mind when discussing Liverpool's most important player, Alonso opted for the captain, emphasising how critical his energy is to Jurgen Klopp's high-tempo style of playing.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the 37-year-old explained: "Jordan Henderson has become a key figure in the changing room. I think he's so respected, so important for his teammates - that's the sense I get from watching in the stands.
"For the way they play it's very important, the energy he has. He's able to take that step forward, not backwards, to make that pressure a bit higher.
"The way he connects with the three players up front, they play very direct and the way Liverpool is playing is the Jurgen way - the way they played at Dortmund with him and the way they play at Liverpool now."
Asked how he thinks the Premier League will play out this season, Alonso continued: "I support Mikel and Pep a lot but my feelings are not shared at the moment. I am a Liverpool fan.
"Last season it was phenomenal, the race that both teams had. What City did, what Liverpool did, it's going to be tough to repeat but they have the project that is stable, they know what they want but the Premier League is tough.
"It's still early days, but why not."
Source : 90min