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On The Ball | FSG has consistently undervalued Jordan Henderson, but the skipper is proving priceless in repairing the club’s tattered image
- Liverpool’s PR department were in dire need of the feel good story Henderson and his Premier League colleagues are providing
- The Liverpool captain’s commitment to the club has never wavered, even when they treated him abysmally
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Why you can trust SCMP
Jordan Henderson is a leader. The Liverpool captain has judged the mood of Britain in a considerably more astute manner than his club.
The 29-year-old is the driving force behind the creation of Players Together, a Premier League-wide initiative to raise money for National Health Service charities. Henderson, along with James Milner, came up with the idea. He called all his fellow top-flight captains to bring them on board, led Zoom conferences to get feedback from his colleagues and has been very active in group-chat discussions. He has earned huge respect from his fellow professionals.
Anfield’s owners might be wise to consult Henderson on any further moves they are planning during the Covid-19 emergency. The leading voice in the dressing room is making more sense than the executives in the boardroom.
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Liverpool committed a huge public-relations gaffe by putting their non-playing staff on furlough in an attempt to claim government funds designed to keep businesses afloat during the coronavirus crisis. The majority of supporters were aghast at the move and the reaction forced Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to backtrack. The club misjudged the situation badly.
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FSG misjudged Henderson for a long while, too. They were unhappy with the way that he was bought from Sunderland nine years ago. He was scouted by Damien Comolli and FSG were appalled to discover that the director of football strategy had made the decision after watching the player just eight times. There was a belief in Boston that they had signed a dud and Henderson was part of the reason Comolli lost his job a year later.
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