Football never stands still, and as Jordan Henderson contemplated his future on Wednesday night he will have seen – albeit not in person – a glimpse of Liverpool’s plans without him.
That is because Virgil van Dijk took the armband for the 4-2 friendly win over Karlsruher in Germany, making the defender the next Liverpool captain in waiting if Henderson completes his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq.
Van Dijk is an ever-present for Liverpool when fit and therefore a natural successor to Henderson, having regularly captained the Reds in recent seasons when the England midfielder was absent or named on the bench.
Also the Netherlands’ captain, Van Dijk is vocal on the pitch, a quality that is plain for all to see from television screens at home around the world, but was even more apparent during football’s era of empty stadia amid the Covid-19 pandemic, where the players’ voices would boom and echo around the otherwise eerily-quiet grounds.
Few were louder than the centre-back, and he was viewed as a leader among the Liverpool dressing room as early as his first year at the club.
Van Dijk joined from Southampton for £75m in January 2018, and having proved influential in their run to the Champions League final, he was then selected by his team-mates to first captain Liverpool in October that year.
With Henderson out and deputy James Milner on the bench, Van Dijk captained Liverpool against Red Star Belgrade, with manager Jurgen Klopp confirming it was a “players’ decision”.
And ever since, Van Dijk’s importance has only grown; clear during their Champions League win in 2019 and first Premier League triumph a year later, but perhaps more obvious when his nine-month absence due to an ACL injury was keenly felt during the 2020-21 season.
Henderson himself hailed Van Dijk as a “real leader” back in 2020, adding: “I haven’t got enough words to describe him. He gives the team confidence and he just gets better and better. He is the best centre-half in the world.”
It all therefore makes for one less concern for Klopp this summer. There will be plenty of noise around Henderson’s departure given a supposed LGBT+ ally is close to moving to Saudi Arabia, but on the pitch Van Dijk’s likely appointment would make for a smooth transition.
Of course, it is not finalised yet – Henderson’s transfer, nor Van Dijk as his replacement – but it is difficult to look past the Dutchman taking the captaincy.
Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson Becker are also part of Liverpool’s leadership group, and like Van Dijk are sure-fire starters going into the new season, meaning the intrigue could be around who is named the vice-captain for the upcoming campaign.
Alexander-Arnold is the local lad who came through the academy ranks, making him a popular choice, with the full-back-turned-midfielder calling it a “dream” to captain Liverpool when first wearing the armband in 2020 against FC Midtjylland.
Robertson, meanwhile, was appointed Scotland captain in 2018, and with the nation flying in their Euro 2024 qualifying group the 29-year-old could well be leading them out in Germany next year.
Goalkeeper Alisson also has experience captaining Liverpool. In a 2021 Champions League match, against Porto, where Henderson, Milner, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold did not start, the Brazilian said it was an “honour” to be chosen by his colleagues.
“The players did a vote for this – for extra captains. It’s a pleasure, an honour for me, being captain of this team. Many big players did that before,” Alisson said at the time.
“We have an amazing captain, but we have a lot of leaders on the team who are not wearing the band on the arm. It’s really important to have all these players on the team who can make a leadership and push the players forward when it’s needed.”
Alisson’s words ring true even now. If Henderson leaves, their midfield may lack experience – especially with Milner having departed and Fabinho a target for Al-Ittihad – but that is slowly being addressed, while evidently they have no shortage of leaders across the park.
In Van Dijk they’ll trust, and he will have a more-than-able support cast queuing up behind him.
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