Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has urged his teammates to ignore the hysteria surrounding the return of their manager to his former club and focus on beating Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.
Jurgen Klopp is scheduled to return to Borussia Dortmund within a year of his resignation. The German was a firm fan favourite during his time at the Signal Iduna Park, and the news of Liverpool drawing the Bundesliga outfit in the Europa League quarter-final fixture has caused quite a stir.
The manager’s impending return has been hyped up to the extent that one TV channel is planning to employ what is being called a ‘Klopp Cam’ to capture the antics of the Liverpool manager, renowned for wearing his heart on his sleeve.
Henderson calls for focus
However, amidst all the ruckus, Klopp’s men need to come away from Germany with a score-line that gives them an advantage in England.
Urging his teammates to ignore the manager’s reunion and focus on the tie, Henderson was quoted as saying by ESPN FC: “It might be different for the boss going back to his old club but for us as players we need to go there, concentrate on the game and what we need to do and just focus on the job in hand.”
“It will be a great occasion for everyone over there and it will be an even better one if we can get a good result there.
Injury better than before: Henderson
It has been far from an ideal year for the former Sunderland midfielder, who was appointed the Liverpool captain at the start of the season.
However, it is not all bad news for the admirers of the humble and hard-working Liverpool captain, who went on to add that his latest exploits for England were his best this year..
He was quoted as saying by Sky Sports: “When I was away with England, I thought I put in one of my highest performances of the season in terms of the physical side of the game, which was pleasing for me.
“I got confidence from that and I just need to continue to work instead of trying to play catch up all the time.”
For someone who is renowned for his work-ethic and ability to make late runs into the box, it is no surprise that Jordan Henderson’s performances have dipped with him not being at his fittest.
With Emre Can suspended for the next two Premier League ties and two games against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League, it is welcome news for Liverpool faithfuls that their captain has gotten closer to his peak fitness.
