Steven Gerrard gives Jurgen Klopp pause by naming Liverpool’s ‘best’ midfielders

Steven Gerrard commanded Liverpool’s midfield during his Anfield career, but named current star Jordan Henderson among them due to criticism of the current captain

Steven Gerrard named Xabi Alonso as the best midfielder he played with at Liverpool, but said Jordan Henderson was “very selfless and a leader”.

The club legend spent 17 years at Anfield and was often the driving force from the center of the park. He played alongside a large number of singles, but it was the Spanish star signed by Rafa Benitez in 2004 who made the biggest mark on Gerrard.

However, he was also more than impressed with the current Merseyside skipper, who had come under fire this season amid ongoing rumors of a summer reshuffle. Henderson is now 30 and, after a slow start at Liverpool, was a vital part of the success during the Jurgen Klopp era. Gerrard said on LFCTV When Stevie Met Salah: “The best I’ve played with? I liked playing with Jordan [Henderson] because Jordan was very selfless, he was a leader, he ran a lot for me. and I was older then so I needed Jordan’s energy. But if you talk about one player I liked, Xabi Alonso was. Alonso allowed me to play as a No.10 earlier, so I was able to score more shots, more goals and more assists.

Henderson is one of many stalwarts at the center of the park, including Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita. Some of them could be moved on this summer as the club look to rebalance their midfield to stay competitive.

However, Gerrard’s comments underscore Henderson’s influence, with the former Sunderland man often praised for his unseen work. Klopp was prepared to keep key figures in the group, namely Milner, for their influence and Henderson could now enter this group if the club make decisions on how to make the most of their engine room.

Youngsters like Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho haven’t always had the desired impact and Jurgen Klopp will hit the market hard this summer. Jude Bellingham is believed to be their primary target, with Chelsea’s Mason Mount also on their radar as his future remains uncertain. “We have to make our own plans but depending on how this club is run it is obviously different to other clubs but everything has worked so far so we will have to see if it still works or if we have to It’s not that “today wasn’t good and now we have to change”.

“It’s clear, it’s always clear that this team has a wonderful history and how this club is run by not wasting money and just seeing if it worked out or not. Our transfers always have to be right, that makes it really difficult, we can’t make four transfers before we know who’s leaving.”