Henderson at Juventus: 5 intriguing facts about the English midfielder

Juventus is set to enrich its youthful core with the acquisition of 33-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson. Henderson has taken his career to Saudi Arabia where he, in just 6 months, has already earned £18 million. While we wait anxiously to see if these transfer rumours solidify, here are five interesting facts about the Al Ettifaq player.

Henderson has shown his worth in 2023. Despite his club’s standing at the eighth position, he shone during September, serving four assists in three consecutive games. These contributions led to relative victories for his team.

His best career performance was during his tenure at Liverpool in the 2014-15 season, where he scored seven goals. It was not the season where he played the most, as in 2021-22 he took to the field 57 times. He seems to have no physical issues, suggesting his overall fitness is in check.

As per the shifting of personnel priorities, throughout recent months Juventus has been linked with Kalvin Phillips. In the latest England-Italy match, which ended in a 3-1 victory for the Brits, the Manchester City midfielder was traded off with Henderson by Coach Southgate with just 20 minutes left in the game. Could this have sparked the idea in Allegri’s mind?

Jamie Henderson faced comparison to football legend Steven Gerrard at the start of his career. The BBC pundit Danny Murphy opined that “Playing alongside Gerrard at the beginning was not very helpful because as a young player standing next to one of the best midfielders ever, you’re never going to look as good. It was only after Gerrard left in 2015, and the team started to develop under Jurgen Klopp, that people began to see Henderson’s qualities. At 29, he has matured into a complete midfielder and is a fantastic example of someone maximising their abilities.”

Henderson, with the national team, competed in the World Cup three times. During the most recent competition, he scored the opening goal against Senegal, a feat inspired by Bellingham who passed the ball to Henderson in the centre of the field. Henderson masterfully turned it into a sort of ‘moving penalty’, shooting first-hand.