Jordan Henderson facts for kids
Henderson with England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 17 June 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 feet 0 inches (1.82 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Ajax | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2008 | Sunderland | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Sunderland | 71 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Coventry City (loan) | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2023 | Liverpool | 360 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Al-Ettifaq | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Ajax | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | England U19 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | England U20 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | England U21 | 27 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010– | England | 81 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Jordan Brian Henderson (born June 17, 1990) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax, where he is the captain. He also plays for the England national team. Henderson is known for his strong leadership, skill, and ability to play in different positions on the field.
He joined the Sunderland Academy when he was eight years old. He made his first team debut for Sunderland in November 2008. In 2009, he spent six months on loan at Coventry City. After returning to Sunderland, he moved to Liverpool in 2011.
With Liverpool, Henderson won his first trophy, the League Cup, in 2012. He became Liverpool's captain in 2015. As captain, he led the team to win the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019. In 2020, he led Liverpool to win the Premier League title. He was named FWA Footballer of the Year for his great performance that season. In 2022, he also won the FA Cup and the EFL Cup with Liverpool.
Henderson has played over 80 games for England since his first match in 2010. He has played in six major international tournaments for his country. These include the 2012, 2016, and 2020 UEFA European Championships. He also played in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He was the first player to win the England Player of the Year award at both the U-21 and senior levels.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Jordan Brian Henderson was born on June 17, 1990, in Sunderland, England. He joined the youth team of his hometown club, Sunderland, when he was eight years old. Henderson also went to Farringdon Community Sports College.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Sunderland
First Steps and Loan to Coventry City
Henderson signed his first professional contract with Sunderland on July 1, 2008. He played his first game for the senior team on November 1, 2008. This was an away match against Chelsea in the Premier League. He came on as a substitute at half-time. His first start for Sunderland was in the League Cup the next month.
In January 2009, Henderson joined Championship club Coventry City on a one-month loan. He played his first game for Coventry in a match against Derby County. His loan was then made longer until the end of the season. He scored his first goal as a professional player on February 28, 2009, against Norwich City. He returned to Sunderland in April 2009 after getting a foot injury.
Becoming a Regular at Sunderland
In the 2009–10 season, Henderson became a regular player for Sunderland. He played 38 games and scored 2 goals. His first goal for the club was against Birmingham City in the League Cup. He then scored his first Premier League goal against Manchester City in December 2009.
Henderson often played on the right side of midfield. He also played in the middle when other players were not available. His ability to play in different roles and his consistent performance earned him a new five-year contract in April 2010. He also won the Sunderland Young Player of the Year award for that season.
He continued to be a key player in the 2010–11 season. He played 39 games and scored 3 goals. On January 13, 2011, FIFA listed him as one of 13 young players to watch. He won the Sunderland Young Player of the Year award for the second season in a row.
Joining Liverpool
Early Years and First Trophies
On June 9, 2011, Henderson moved to Liverpool. He made his debut in Liverpool's first game of the 2011–12 Premier League season. This was a 1–1 draw against his old club, Sunderland. On August 27, 2011, Henderson scored his first goal for Liverpool against Bolton Wanderers.
On February 26, 2012, Henderson started in the League Cup final. Liverpool won the trophy by beating Cardiff City. He also played in the 2012 FA Cup final where Liverpool lost to Chelsea. He finished the 2011–12 season with 2 goals in 48 games.
In August 2012, new manager Brendan Rodgers offered Henderson the chance to join Fulham. However, Henderson decided to stay at Liverpool. He scored his first goal in a European competition for Liverpool on December 6, 2012. This was the winning goal against Udinese in the UEFA Europa League.
Henderson became a regular player for Liverpool in the 2013–14 season. He played 40 matches and scored 5 goals. On September 29, 2013, he played his 100th game for the club.
On April 13, 2014, he received his first red card for a tackle against Manchester City. This meant he missed three important games. Liverpool finished second in the league that season.
Henderson started the 2014–15 season well. He was named the club's vice-captain after Daniel Agger left. On November 29, he captained Liverpool for the first time in the Premier League. On December 2, he played his 150th game for the club and scored a goal against Leicester City. In April, Henderson signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool.
Becoming Club Captain and Major Successes
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After Steven Gerrard left in June 2015, Henderson became the captain of Liverpool. He had an injury to his heel and then broke a bone in his foot. This meant he missed some games and the arrival of new manager Jürgen Klopp. He returned to play in November 2015. He scored in his first game back, a 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion. Another knee injury kept him out until the end of the season. He played 26 games and scored 2 goals in the 2015–16 season.
Henderson played regularly in the 2016–17 season. On September 16, he scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards against Chelsea. This goal won him the Premier League Goal of the Month award for September. He played 27 games and scored 1 goal that season. In the 2017–18 season, he scored his only goal against Leicester City. On August 15, 2017, he captained Liverpool for the first time in the UEFA Champions League. He led Liverpool all the way to the final, where they lost to Real Madrid. He played 41 games and scored 1 goal that season.
Henderson signed a new five-year deal with Liverpool in 2018. He wanted to stay at Liverpool for as long as possible. On November 24, he received a red card against Watford. This meant he missed the important Merseyside derby game.
On May 7, 2019, Henderson played through pain with a knee injury. He captained Liverpool to a famous 4–0 victory over Barcelona. This win meant Liverpool reached their second Champions League final in a row. On June 1, 2019, Henderson captained Liverpool to a 2–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 Champions League final. He became the fifth Liverpool captain to lift the Champions League trophy.
Liverpool then won the 2019 UEFA Super Cup by beating Chelsea. On December 21, 2019, Henderson led Liverpool to win their first ever FIFA Club World Cup title. They beat Flamengo 1–0 in the final. This made them the only English club to win three big European trophies in one year.
Liverpool had a great 2018–19 season, finishing second. Their excellent form continued into the next season. After a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Henderson led Liverpool to win their first league title in 30 years on June 25, 2020. He was praised for his strong performances and was named the FWA Footballer of the Year for 2020. He played 40 games during the 2019–20 season.
Winning More Trophies (2021–2023)
On August 31, 2021, Henderson signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. He scored his first Champions League goal in seven years on September 15. This was the winning goal in a 3–2 home victory over AC Milan. On October 24, he captained Liverpool to a big 5–0 away win against Manchester United.
On May 14, 2022, Henderson became the first Liverpool captain to win six different trophies. This happened after winning the 2021–22 FA Cup. Liverpool almost achieved a historic quadruple, finishing second in the Premier League and Champions League. But they did win both the EFL Cup and FA Cup. At the end of the 2022–23 season, Liverpool just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League. On July 26, 2023, Henderson announced he would be leaving Liverpool after 12 years.
Later Career
On July 27, 2023, Henderson signed for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq. His former Liverpool teammate, Steven Gerrard, was the manager there. He played his first game on August 14 in a 2–1 win against Al-Nassr. In January 2024, Henderson left Al-Ettifaq.
On January 18, 2024, Henderson signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Eredivisie club Ajax. He made his debut on February 3 in a 1–1 draw with PSV.
International Career for England
Youth Teams
Henderson first played for the under-19s against the Czech Republic in 2009. He then joined the under-21 squad. He scored his first goal for England in the European U21 Championship play-offs against Romania.
Henderson was part of the England U21 squad for the 2011 European Championship. He captained the England U21 team in a 6–0 win over Azerbaijan U21 in September 2011. He scored one goal in that game. On February 3, 2013, Henderson was named the England U21 Player of the Year. He also captained the under-21 team at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Senior England Team
On November 11, 2010, Henderson was called up to the senior England squad. He made his debut on November 17 in a friendly match against France. He started the game in midfield alongside Steven Gerrard.
Henderson was added to England's Euro 2012 squad to replace an injured player. He played as a substitute in England's first match against France. He also came on as a substitute in the quarter-final against Italy, which England lost in a penalty shootout.
He was chosen for Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He started in England's first two group matches.
Henderson was also in the England Euro 2016 squad. He played one full match in the group stage against Slovakia, which ended 0–0.
He was named in the England squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In England's match against Colombia, Henderson was the only England player to miss a penalty in the shootout. However, England still won 4–3 and reached the semi-finals. The next year, he helped England finish third in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. He was then named England Player of the Year for 2019. He was the first player to win this award at both the U21 and senior levels.
Henderson scored his first international goal on July 3, 2021. This was in the Euro 2020 quarter-final game against Ukraine. He scored England's last goal with a header in the 4–0 win. In the UEFA Euro 2020 final, England finished as runners-up.
Henderson was part of England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored his first World Cup goal in the round of 16 match against Senegal.
He was not included in the preliminary England squad for the Euro 2024 tournament.
How Jordan Henderson Plays
Style of Play
Henderson usually plays as a box-to-box midfielder. This means he helps both in defense and attack. Under manager Jürgen Klopp, he often played as a defensive midfielder. When Fabinho joined in 2018, Henderson moved back to his original "number 8" position. This is a central midfielder role, often closer to the right side of the pitch. He is very good in this role.
He is a versatile player, meaning he can play in different positions. Sometimes, he has played in a more advanced midfield role. He even played as a temporary centre-back when Liverpool had many injured defenders. He is known for working hard and bringing a lot of energy to his team.
Experts describe Henderson as an "athletic and hardworking midfielder." He improved his game a lot at Liverpool. Former player Danny Murphy noted that Henderson's passing range got much better. This allowed him to create more chances for his team. He also constantly puts pressure on the opposing team when they have the ball. Besides his physical skills, he is praised for his smart play, consistency, and leadership. He is also good at winning the ball and moving it forward. He makes attacking runs from midfield to get into good scoring positions.
Henderson has made the most successful passes of any player in Premier League history, with 23,364.
Personal Life
Jordan Henderson is a fan of Sunderland, his hometown club. He even attended the 2014 League Cup final with Sunderland fans while he was a Liverpool player. On the same day he was named Liverpool captain, it was announced he would be on the cover of the UK edition of the FIFA 16 video game.
Henderson is married to Rebecca Burnett, and they have three children. His father, Brian, was a former policeman and amateur footballer. He recovered from oral cancer during Jordan's early career at Liverpool. He was able to watch the 2019 Champions League final in Madrid.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Henderson, as Liverpool's captain, helped organize a fund. This fund raised millions of pounds for the NHS (the UK's health service). His idea was for Premier League footballers to donate to help frontline NHS workers.
Henderson was given the award of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2021. This was for his services to football and charity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His autobiography, Jordan Henderson: The Autobiography, was released in October 2022.
While playing in Saudi Arabia, Henderson, manager Steven Gerrard, and their families lived in nearby Bahrain.
Honours
Liverpool
- Premier League: 2019–20
- FA Cup: 2021–22; runner-up: 2011–12
- Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2011–12, 2021–22; runner-up: 2015–16
- FA Community Shield: 2022
- UEFA Champions League: 2018–19; runner-up: 2017–18, 2021–22
- UEFA Super Cup: 2019
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2019
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16
England
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020
- UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19
Individual
- England U21 Player of the Year Award: 2012
- Liverpool Young Player of the Year: 2011–12
- Sunderland Young Player of the Year: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Premier League Goal of the Month: September 2016
- England Senior Men's Player of the Year: 2019
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2019–20
- Liverpool Fans' Player of the Season: 2019–20
- PFA Team of the Year: 2019–20 Premier League
- ESM Team of the Year: 2019–20
Orders
