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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has praised the performances of teammate Jordan Henderson and picked him out as a midfielder he admires.
What did he say?
The former Arsenal player has made a return from injury this summer after more than a year out with a ruptured ACL, and is excited to be back inolved for both club and country.
He is keen to get back to playing in the no.8 role for both teams – the position which saw him thrive at Anfield prior to his injury.
In an interview with The Times’ Henry Winter, he was asked about midfielders he looks up to, and listed Andres Iniesta and Steven Gerrard, as well as his current club captain.
He said: “Hendo [Jordan Henderson] has stepped forward into a more advanced role [at Liverpool] and he’s doing it really well. It has brought a sense of life out of him, a sort of energetic pulse.”
The two could pair up together for England over the international break with games against Bulgaria and Kosovo, and the 26-year-old will certainly hope for the opportunity to play his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans.
Cementing a legacy
There is no doubting that Henderson has come a long way in the last few years in terms of his character and the leadership qualities he has displayed, but he has also become instrumental for the Reds on the pitch.
Jurgen Klopp now views him as a vital part of his team and to contribute to a side which won the Champions League and gained 97 points in the Premier League suggests he is a special midfielder – perhaps even better than Gerrard.
It says a lot when his fellow teammates look up to him in the way Oxlade-Chamberlain does, and if he continues in a similar vein over the next few seasons he could be remembered for years to come.
The ultimate for fans is to win the Premier League, and if the boy from Sunderland can make that dream a reality he will certainly write his name into the Anfield history books.
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