‘He is aggressive and demanding’

During his debut for Ajax once morest PSV (1-1), Jordan Henderson made the most impression with his voice. Where do his leadership qualities come from?

Matthijs van Dam4 February 2024, 12:40

In an attempt to characterize Jordan Henderson, former teammate Lee Cattermole delves into his memory. Then the memory comes back of his surprise on August 15, 2009. That day, Sunderland plays the first match of the season in the Premier League once morest the physically strong Bolton Wanderers. Sunderland goes to rest with a 0-1 lead, when manager Steve Bruce makes a remarkable announcement in the dressing room.

Broekie Jordan Henderson, just 19 and only permanently joined the first team that summer, comes in for Steed Malbranque, with an experience of 400 professional matches. Midfielder Cattermole, himself bought from Wigan Athletic for seven million euros, has only trained with Henderson for a few days and hardly knows his potential. Bruce must have a lot of confidence in that boy, he thinks.

No longer from the base

But following 45 minutes Cattermole is also over. Sunderland wins and Henderson plays excellently. The young Henderson no longer disappeared from the starting line-up. “That season Jordan left for good,” Cattermole says by telephone. “He also quickly became vocal.”

Cattermole (35) will stay at Sunderland for ten years, has been captain for many years and will end his career at VVV Venlo in 2020. Henderson leaves for Liverpool in 2011 for 20 million euros. He takes over the captaincy from club legend Steven Gerrard and wins the Premier League and the Champions League. Cattermole: “Following Gerrard was regarding the hardest thing you might do at the time.”

Henderson did it. Over the years, he has been praised most for his leadership qualities. That is precisely why Ajax is bringing him in from Saudi Arabia this winter following an unhappy six months. The 33-year-old Henderson must strengthen the defensive midfield and lead Ajax following the worst first half of the season in club history.

Yearning for a leader

On Saturday evening, before Henderson’s debut once morest leader PSV, the crowd in the Johan Cruijff Arena was audibly yearning for that new leader. Who his favorite player is, the stadium speaker asks a young talent from the youth academy who is holding up a ball. Typical of today’s Ajax is that the boy mentions the name of a player who has not played for Ajax for even a second. “Hendersóóóóóón,” he shouts enthusiastically into the microphone. The fans cheer. He can later have his picture taken with his hero.

When the players are shown on the big screens just before the warm-up, the Englishman enthusiastically cheers his teammates on in the tunnel. When Henderson enters the field, he applauds several times towards the F-Side amid cheers and does his warm-up close to the fanatical core of supporters.

The Ajax players leisurely tap a ball around, except for Henderson. He loosens his muscles at high intensity: side steps, sprints, heels once morest the buttocks, stretching exercises. After that, Henderson is the only one who hits all the balls once. He continues the final sprint the longest of anyone.

As a nineteen-year-old at Sunderland, Henderson is already training like a man possessed. Cattermole sees someone ‘who knows no fear’. His high training intensity is impressive. Henderson wants to be the best every day, trains for himself every day and is an example for others, says Cattermole. “His attitude is the reason he got the most out of his career.”

When running in pre-season, Henderson invariably runs at the front, then drops back to help teammates, only to finish the run as the front man once more. Cattermole: “He was a running machine. No one at Ajax should doubt his fitness.”

‘Incredible communicator’

Only teammate Hlynsson runs more kilometers than Henderson on Saturday evening. Yet he looks slower in his ball handling once morest PSV, a legacy of six months of barely playing football at a serious level or not at all in Saudi Arabia. His position was wrong when PSV equalized, which canceled out Steven Berghuis’s 1-0. This frees up Ismaël Saibari on the left flank. The Belgian Moroccan can then give a pinpoint cross to Luuk de Jong, who beautifully scores his 18th goal of the season.

Ajax plays fresh and fierce once morest PSV. Defensively things are finally stable, especially once morest the most effective team in the Netherlands. Henderson does something that has not been seen in Amsterdam for months: provide verbal leadership and keep the team compact.

He gestures to remain calm when capturing the ball, points out to defenders the free-running PSV players, but also expresses his dissatisfaction when goalkeeper Diant Ramaj hastily throws a catch once morest Henderson’s instructions and unintentionally initiates a new PSV attack. His throat is hoarse from an hour and a half of coaching, Henderson will say followingwards.

Cattermole calls Henderson an ‘incredible communicator’, but what makes him so compelling? “He communicates aggressively and demandingly,” says Cattermole. “Just like me, but the instructions he gives are also simple and substantive. Who to cover. Who puts pressure, when, when not. If Jordan doesn’t like something from you, he will tell you immediately. But he is also the first to say: great pass, well done.”

A free kick from Henderson almost made it 2-1 in injury time. It had been a bit too much of a good thing. The Amsterdam public realizes this. The first point in a top match for Ajax this season is greeted with cheers. Henderson receives applause from every stand during a lap of honor. Some supporters wave English flags. Young fans hang over the boarding with a Henderson shirt, number 6, in their hands. He signs them and takes selfies. Circus Henderson is open every week somewhere in the country.

‘I am my own biggest critic’

England national coach Gareth Southgate also saw it all from the stands. How Henderson himself assesses his performance? “You shouldn’t ask me that, because I am my own biggest critic. To be honest, I’m not a player who scores every game. I just have to be myself and help the team. There is so much talent here.”

Trainer John van ‘t Schip saw Henderson do what he was recruited for: coaching and guiding young players. “Before the match, during it, at half-time and followingwards, actually all week long. When one starts, the others follow. He speaks in a tone that keeps everyone on their toes.”

“Is he going to entertain everyone on the field? Probably not,” says Cattermole. “But the players and the coach are going to love him for his stature and that he gives everything every day. Young players will ask him at lunch and training how he got so good. They will pick his brain.”

Also read:
Why Jordan Henderson’s ‘desert regret’ might end badly for the Saudi league
With the quick departure of top footballer Jordan Henderson to Ajax, ambitious Saudi Arabia was dealt a blow. What consequences might that have for the football competition there?