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Jordan Henderson scoops FWA, but De Bruyne deserved it more
- The Liverpool captain has been awarded the FWA Footballer of the Year
- He beat City’s playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to the crown
- Mental Health and Psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Liverpool Captain scoops FWA Footballer of the Year award.
When Jordan Henderson went up the Kop throne to lift the Premier League trophy, a bright smile ran across the former Sunderland midfielder.
Even he would not imagine that he had risen from loan spells at Coventry and Sunderland to lifting England’s prestigious trophy, in a space of eleven years.
He became the 12th Liverpool player to claim the individual prize and the first since fellow Red Mohammed Salah two years ago.
The 30-year old beat off competition from teammates Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane, and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
The Liverpool skipper has been lauded for his off-pitch efforts when he instigated the #playerstogether initiative at the height of the coronavirus crisis to ‘distribute money to where it is needed most’ in the fight against the global pandemic.
The Liverpool skipper has been lauded for his off-pitch efforts when he instigated the #playerstogether initiative at the height of the coronavirus crisis to ‘distribute money to where it is needed most’ in the fight against the global pandemic.
On the pitch, however, he may not be the one to match the Belgian playmaker.
Henderson has made 30 appearances this season, four as a substitute, scoring four goals in the entire season.
The Belgian has made 34 Premier League appearances, scored 11 goals and provided 19 assists, just one short of Thierry Henry’s assist record from 2002/03, when the Arsenal striker registered 20.
The 28-year-old began his campaign with five assists and one goal from his four league matches and that set the template for what was to follow for the rest of the season.
He has performed at an optimum since then, and while his teammates might have flattered to deceive, De Bruyne was almost always at the top of his game in every single match to this point.
The Belgian international is the one outfield player who is immune to Pep Guardiola’s notorious rotation policy and this says a lot about the value placed in him by the Spaniard, considering the quality of players the former Barcelona coach has managed throughout his spell in the dugout.
The former Wolfsburg player has a record of creating more league assists than the great Lionel Messi between 2013 and 2018 – an indication of his impressive performances not only in England but in the world.
He leads the way in number of through balls attempted (30), big chances created (32) and an incredible 116 successful long balls.
Henderson on the other hand has registered 5 assists, made 9 big chances and only 7 through balls.
Defensively, the England international has made 30 interceptions, 18 clearances and made 8 blocks, compared to the Belgian who has made 87 interceptions, 57 clearances and made 96 blocks – so much for an attacking midfielder.
Henderson may carry the gong, but it is the Belgian who deserved it more.
