London: Jordan Henderson was voted ‘Player of the Year’ by soccer writers Friday after captaining Liverpool to their first English league title in 30 years. Jordan Henderson also played a leading role in raising money for Britain’s health service during the coronavirus pandemic. Jordan Henderson beat Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to the award by the Football Writers’ Association (FWA).
“As grateful as I am, I don’t feel like I can accept this on my own,” said Henderson, who lifted the Premier League trophy Wednesday. “I don’t feel like anything I’ve achieved this season or in fact during my whole career has been done on my own. I owe a lot to so many different people but none more so than my current teammates. They have just been incredible and deserve this award every bit as much as I do,” the central midfielder added.
Winning the league completed a stunning 13 months for Liverpool. They had also won the Champions League and the Club World Cup in that period. Henderson has been an inspirational leader in that time, with Liverpool’s performances often dipping in his rare absences.
The England midfielder also played an important role behind the scenes during the suspension of the league during the pandemic. He led an initiative that saw players team up with a charity to raise money for the National Health Service.
“Leadership is intangible and often unquantifiable unless it is inarguable,” FWA chair Carrie Brown said. “Jordan Henderson is both the ultimate professional and now a bona fide Liverpool legend. Jordan is a player his teammates look to on the pitch and who his rivals look up to off it,” Brown added.
The FWA’s Footballer of the Year accolade is the oldest individual soccer award in the world. It was first awarded in 1948.