Liverpool's Jordan Henderson named England's Footballer of the Year

By Simon Evans

 

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Chelsea - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - July 22, 2020 Liverpool's Jordan Henderson with teammates celebrates with the trophy after winning the Premier League Pool via REUTERS/Phil Noble

 

(Reuters) - Liverpool's Premier League title winning captain Jordan Henderson was named England's Footballer of the Year on Friday in the annual vote of the Football Writers' Association (FWA).

 

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Liverpool pair Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane made up the rest of the top five.

 

The 30-year-old Henderson has been central to Liverpool's success under Juergen Klopp through his leadership and tireless midfield work.

 

"As grateful as I am I don’t feel like I can accept this on my own. I don’t feel like anything I’ve achieved this season or in fact during my whole career has been done on my own," said Henderson.

 

"I owe a lot to so many different people – but none more so than my current team mates – who have just been incredible and deserve this every bit as much as I do," he said.

 

Henderson has played in 30 of Liverpool's league matches so far this season and scored four goals.

 

Two other Liverpool players - right back Trent Alexander-Arnold and goalkeeper Alisson Becker - also received votes.

 

“I accept it on behalf of this whole squad, because without them I’m not in a position to be receiving this honour. These lads have made me a better player – a better leader and a better person," added Henderson.

 

“If anything I hope those who voted for me did so partly to recognise the entire team’s contribution."

 

The Footballer of the Year trophy has been awarded since 1948 when Stanley Matthews was its first recipient.

 

Other players who received votes from FWA members included Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Danny Ings (Southampton), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) and Leicester City pair James Maddison and Jonny Evans.

 

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Toby Davis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-25

 

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After watching him and the rest of the players of my beloved Liverpool "take the knee" before the Chelsea game, I couldn't care less about his award, or anything else that happens in British football. I'm no longer a football (or F1) fan. I might add that I'm ex British army and had a couple of comrades killed whilst on active duty. Anyone who grovels to the rabble who disrespected the cenotaph, tried to burn the union flag and defaced the statue of Churchill isn't worthy of support in my opinion.

Kevin De Bruyne should have won this award. Out injured for a number of games yet his contribution was key in many matches.

1 hour ago, SweatySock said:

Kevin De Bruyne should have won this award. Out injured for a number of games yet his contribution was key in many matches.

No doubting KDB's ability as a footballer. But, he is playing for a team 18 points behind LFC...... A team that hasn't been able to lay a glove until it didn't matter. A team constructed at huge cost full of superstars. He hasn't been able to drag his team through games like JH.

 

In any event, the FWA tends to recognize more of a player's facets both on and off the pitch. In Henderson's case, his leadership skills definitely helped him win the vote as did his leading his peers in the Covid response.

 

The PFA award puts more emphasis on performance/ability as was shown with last year's winners. Van Dijk winning the PFA and Sterling, partly due to his well publicised anti-racism stance, securing the FWA.

 

The PFA will be announced soon so KDB might not have missed out yet.

57 minutes ago, wilai said:

full of superstars.

 

WRT the comment on CIty constructed full of superstars. What superstars? They have only become superstars whilst at City, most people had never heard of the majority of our signings before they came to us. Sterling wasn't a superstar at the time, he was an upcoming with potential. And DeBruyne was labelled a Chelsea reject.

TBH I'm not really bothered about who gets awarded this or that. I just know who I'd sooner have in our squad and I'm happy with our lot.

4 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

 

WRT the comment on CIty constructed full of superstars. What superstars? They have only become superstars whilst at City, most people had never heard of the majority of our signings before they came to us. Sterling wasn't a superstar at the time, he was an upcoming with potential. And DeBruyne was labelled a Chelsea reject.

 

1 hour ago, wilai said:

A team constructed at huge cost, full of superstars.

 

Maybe I should have put a comma after cost to make it clearer????

3 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

TBH I'm not really bothered about who gets awarded this or that. I just know who I'd sooner have in our squad and I'm happy with our lot.

See if you can get hold of the Champions League before you start comparing seasons. Hendo has the Premier/Champs/World Club and Super Cup at the moment. KDB has the errrr Carabao ????

1 minute ago, wilai said:

See if you can get hold of the Champions League before you start comparing seasons. Hendo has the Premier/Champs/World Club and Super Cup at the moment. KDB has the errrr Carabao ????

 

Oh bladdy hell, still giddy are we? And that is pretty desperate clinging on to the CL as something for the same year. You still have it because the final hasn't been played yet but one thing for sure is that it cannot be Liverpool's.

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

 

Oh bladdy hell, still giddy are we? And that is pretty desperate clinging on to the CL as something for the same year. You still have it because the final hasn't been played yet but one thing for sure is that it cannot be Liverpool's.

Yep bud......still giddy as hell????

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Liverpool's Jordan Henderson named England's Footballer of the Year

Thai DPM named football of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, mrbojangles said:

TBH I'm not really bothered about who gets awarded this or that. I just know who I'd sooner have in our squad and I'm happy with our lot.

That's all well & good in an attacking sense but what about defence, which, IMO is an important part of a midfielder's arsenal (no pun).

Up to week 34 (from the website '1VS1' here are the stats:

 

 

Ariel Duels won: KDB - 15; JH - 32

 

Tackles: KDB - 57; JH - 92

 

Blocks: KDB - 5: JH - 4

 

Note: I'm a Man Utd fan & it pains me to give Liverpool credit but JH deserved the award.

Past winners: Ronaldo, Henry, Gerrard, Giggs, Shearer etc etc.... Jordan Henderson!!! 

50 minutes ago, khunken said:

That's all well & good in an attacking sense but what about defence, which, IMO is an important part of a midfielder's arsenal (no pun).

Up to week 34 (from the website '1VS1' here are the stats:

 

 

Ariel Duels won: KDB - 15; JH - 32

 

Tackles: KDB - 57; JH - 92

 

Blocks: KDB - 5: JH - 4

 

Note: I'm a Man Utd fan & it pains me to give Liverpool credit but JH deserved the award.

 

That's all well and good but, you have to take into account our possession stats. If we never give the opposition the ball we don't need to win as many aerial duels or a tackles.

 

In the interests of fairness and seeing as you have used 1VS1 for your review, I thought I would visit the website you mention. I must admit I have never heard of it before  but it's quite good. Here is the  winner by votes and the summary from 1VS1 of the overall stats.

 

 

 

 

 

https://one-versus-one.com/en/compare-players/jordan-henderson-vs-Kevin-de-Bruyne

4 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

 

WRT the comment on CIty constructed full of superstars. What superstars? They have only become superstars whilst at City, most people had never heard of the majority of our signings before they came to us. Sterling wasn't a superstar at the time, he was an upcoming with potential. And DeBruyne was labelled a Chelsea reject.

City has been labeled MrB. There's no escape from here on out.

BBC's Player of the Season- KDB ("He's no Jordan Henderson..." ????)

 

 

Thoroughly deserved.. true leader of a outstanding  footballing team and a player youngsters will look up to and see a role model that  position deserves.. to my mind he should be England's captain...  All other contenders for this award to  me a VERY very distant second.