This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Virgil van Dijk took over the Liverpool captain’s armband from Jordan Henderson (Image: Getty) Virgil van Dijk has backed up Jordan Henderson’s honest admission that the timing was right to let go of the captain’s armband last summer before emotionally leaving the club after 12 successful years. The England midfielder said farewell to Anfield after 12 years, embarking on a new challenge with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq last year, before swiftly transferring to Ajax this January following a tough stint in the Middle East.
Reflecting on the changes last month, Henderson acknowledged their necessity, despite the personal pain they caused him. “It was the best thing for the club and the team, and you can see that in the performances and how they’ve done, as much as that hurts me,” Henderson remarked before Ajax’s Europa Conference League game against Aston Villa. He added: “It’s football and you move on.
I’m so happy it’s worked out for them so far and I’ve just got my fingers crossed it can be a fairytale end for Jurgen because he deserves it.” Henderson further elaborated on his departure, stating, “Looking back, I think it was the right time for me as a player [to leave] but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time. “I was very emotional.
Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club. It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil [van Dijk] becoming captain, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] becoming vice-captain, and how they’ve stepped up again this season, I think it has given them another lift.”
While Van Dijk was saddened to see his close friend depart, he acknowledged that a reshuffle in the team’s leadership was inevitable. “Jordan is a good friend of mine and we’ve been through everything together,” Van Dijk told the Mirror, speaking after he was announced as an ambassador for Expedia. “He’s been one of the best captains Liverpool have had, with everything we achieved.
He was amazing for the club and that won’t change. But in football things happen like this. “Players eventually move on and other players have to step up.
The moment he left then things were going to shift, especially with our vice-captain James Milner leaving before him too. There were always going to be some changes in the squad, and new roles for different players, including me, but things like this happen and others have to step up and I think we all have done that.” With Van Dijk taking over as captain and Trent Alexander-Arnold serving as his deputy, they can seek counsel from the rest of the Reds’ leadership group, which includes Andy Robertson, Alisson, and Mohamed Salah.
Van Dijk emphasised the importance of unity this season, stating: “You have to do things together. “It’s good to have different opinions in order to make the right decision when it has to be made. We definitely have certain things to be discussed, they can be small or big, and we have to rely on each other and it is working very well.
Van Dijk further added: “The players in the group have all stepped up and are enjoying that responsibility. You have to do it together, and that’s what we try to do, and it’s going pretty well. “Virgil van Dijk is an ambassador for Expedia.
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