Jordan Henderson has had a tremendous season. Not only is he captain of the side that sits 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, but he has also received praise from throughout the footballing world, and is now the bookies favourite to be crowned Player of the Season come the end of the current campaign.
Whilst uncertainly remains with what will happen in the coming weeks in regards to the current season, there will hopefully be an awards ceremony which will recognise some of the hard work that Premier League players and managers have gone through over the past months.
Does Jordan Henderson Deserve to be Named PFA Player of the Year?
Recognising Henderson’s Performances
The past few months have been brilliant for everyone connected with Liverpool Football Club, although that was of course before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in an abrupt halt to proceedings.
27 wins from 29 league games this season has given Jurgen Klopp’s men an unassailable lead at the summit of the Premier League, and only two more wins are needed in order to seal their first domestic title in 30 years.
Reds’ captain Jordan Henderson has been at the forefront of the Merseysiders’ charge towards the title throughout the campaign, and his performances as part of a midfield three have been pivotal in Klopp’s tactics.
Liverpool’s number 14 has been a calming influence in the middle of the park, and his ability to control the tempo of a game as well as his range of passing hasn’t gone unnoticed.
His performances in the big games have helped rally his side to important victories throughout the season, including his dominant display in the 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Manchester United.
The 29-year-old has made 25 appearances in the league this season, providing five assists and three goals for the team. His sharpness in front of goal has come at important times as well, scoring in a narrow win at home to Tottenham, and in a tough away trip to Wolves.
Henderson’s importance has been recognised even more in recent times, with many fans believing that the 3-0 defeat away to Watford was down to the absence of the injured skipper.
His manager has also been quick to heap praise on the former Sunderland midfielder, with Klopp saying: “Hendo, from my point of view, is a brilliant player. He’s our skipper, he’s a fantastic character. If I had to write a book about Hendo, it would be 500 pages.”
The media have also thrown compliments at Henderson, and believe that he would be a worthy winner of the Player of the Year accolade.
Competition from Teammates
Despite his heroics, Jordan Henderson hasn’t been the only one in fine form for Liverpool this season, so we’ve decided to take a look at who else at Anfield could scoop up the award.
The commanding centre-back has been world-class once again this season and has a good chance at picking up his second successive Player of the Season award. The Dutch giant has played in every minute of the campaign so far, contributing an impressive four goals from the back. He also performed amicably as captain in the few games Henderson has missed out on.
Probably his best season to date, the Senegalese forward has 14 strikes to his name, with a further nine assists. He’s scored some important goals as well, netting in wins over Manchester City and Leicester. Furthermore, he scored a crucial last-minute winner away to Aston Villa back in November.
Another player who has had a great season is local talent Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 21-year-old has received praise from high profile names such as Gary Lineker, and is currently second in the assists table with 12. The young right-back was in top form in a 4-0 mauling over Leicester on Boxing Day, providing two assists and scoring one himself.
Best of the Rest
Whilst Liverpool have run away with the Premier League title this year, there have also been a few players from other clubs who deserve their place on the shortlist.
Most likely the Liverpool players’ closest rival, the Belgian has been in terrific form this season and leads the way in the assists table with 16, four more than rival Alexander-Arnold. Whilst his City side have been unable to match the Reds this season, De Bruyne has been world-class under Pep Guardiola yet again.
Alongside De Bruyne in the running is his teammate Sergio Aguero, who has once again been a menace for Premier League defenders. The Argentine has 16 goals in 22 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition over relegation-threatened Aston Villa.
The Leicester City forward is currently leading the goal-scoring charts in the league, bagging himself 19 goals in 26 appearances. Despite being the ripe old age of 33, Vardy has performed at his top level and is on course to beat his best-ever tally in a Premier League campaign, which currently stands at 24.
Some outside candidates
Whilst it is highly unlikely that any of the players under this category will collect the accolade come the end of the season, we feel they deserve a mention due to the impact they’ve had for their respective clubs.
The Nigerian midfielder has been a rock in the Foxes midfield and has made the third-highest amount of tackles this season, with 91 in 23 appearances. Much is his importance, it comes to no surprise that Brendan Rodgers’ side have only picked up five points in the six league games that he has missed.
United’s number ten was in great form before injuring his back in mid-January. The forward picked up 14 goals in 22 appearances, and would likely be challenging for the golden boot if he wasn’t in the treatment room. The English striker was a goal-scoring machine towards the end of 2019, scoring seven times in eight games.
Who knows where Arsenal would be without Aubameyang’s goals this season? The Gabonese forward has scored almost half of the Gunners’ goals in the league, bagging braces against Watford, Norwich and Everton. The London club have struggled over the past year, languishing in ninth position, but it would be an even bleaker picture without the aid of their captain.
Sheffield United have had an outstanding return to the top flight of English football, and fantasy football favourite John Lundstram has been at the heart of it all. The former Everton graduate has contributed four goals and three assists for the Blades, as they look to continue their pursuit of qualifying for European football next season.
The Last Word
Doubt remains in regards to whether or not the 2019/20 will be resumed at a later date, and if we will get to see any player collect the prestigious accolade.
The winner is usually announced in late April and is selected by members of the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association). However, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic across the world, this will more than likely be postponed to a later date.
So do you think Jordan Henderson is a worthy winner of the reward? Or is any of his teammates more deserving? What about the stars Manchester and Leicester, and is there anyone we’ve missed out?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.
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