Jordan Henderson: The Undeserving Novelty Pick for PFA Player of the Year
By Ross Jackson
Remember when you played Under-10's football?
At the end of every season there would an award ceremony, and it was a bit of a procession if we’re honest; the rubbish player who turned up every week but always tripped over the ball would walk away with a gong – you know, just to keep his parents happy and keep him paying his subs.
Well, Jordan Henderson must have been paying subs to play in the Premier League this year…
The former Sunderland man is being hotly tipped to win this year’s PFA Player of the Year award, a prestigious award given to the best player in the league.
Since its inception in 1974, 46 of the awards have been handed out to some of the greatest players in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard - all players who could have at one time laid claim to being the best footballer on the planet – all proudly display the gong on their mantlepiece (probably).
And now, the name ‘Jordan Henderson’ could soon be added to that illustrious roll of honour.
How on earth has it come to this?
Let’s set the scene. The coronavirus pandemic has subsided and players from all over the country gather for the PFA award ceremony.
‘And the PFA Player of the Year for 2020 is….Jordan Henderson’. The Liverpool captain stands up to accept his award. He strolls past teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, then he walks past the best defender in the world, Virgil van Dijk. He offers a wry smile to the magician that is Kevin De Bruyne, before glancing at Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Premier League top-scorer Jamie Vardy.
If Henderson’s face isn’t as red as his Liverpool jersey by this point, then he ought to be ashamed of himself.
The Player of the Year award should be exactly what it says on the tin: the award given to the best player of the year. It’s not a novelty prize offered to a player who has done a lot for charity, it’s not an award given to a player who used to be rubbish but now looks alright.
If you’re going to start dishing out awards for what players do off the field, Benjamin Mendy and Allan Saint-Maximin should be in the running for being funny on Twitter – you may scoff, but they’ve as much right to lay claim to the award as Henderson has if it’s not purely being judged for performances on the field.
So why is Henderson in the running? Admittedly he’s the club captain of arguably the greatest team in Premier League history, but that doesn’t make you a good footballer. Seldom is a club’s captain the best player in the squad, it just means he’s a good communicator and acts as a middleman between manager and players.
Of the 20 club captains in the Premier League, arguably Aubameyang and Jack Grealish are the only ones who you would call the best players at their respective clubs.
For nearly two seasons now, Jürgen Klopp has settled on exactly the same starting XI, bar the midfield. Same goalkeeper, same back four, same front three, but second-guessing Klopp’s midfield is almost impossible.
The German tactician has five or six top midfielders to choose from, and only three midfield spots to fill.
Were Klopp to choose a midfield of Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a big European tie (for example), there wouldn’t be eyebrows raised like there would if he dropped Van Dijk or Pep Guardiola dropped De Bruyne.
That’s because he’s not even been Liverpool’s best player this season, never mind the league’s best player.
It’s sad to say, but should Henderson be awarded the PFA Player of the Year award, this wouldn’t be the first time a player was undeserving of the gong.
In 2009, Ryan Giggs was handed the trophy. Now, had he been handed a Lifetime Achievement award, there could have been no arguments given the service Giggs had given the Premier League.
But it wasn’t, it was the Player of the Year award. Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard watched on as 35-year-old Giggs collected the award.
Giggs’ goal tally for that Premier League season? Two….two!
In 24 seasons at Manchester United, Giggs only failed to register less goals than his tally in 2008/09 on three occasions, yet this was the year he was awarded the PFA Player of the Year.
The Premier League is the greatest league in the world, therefore, the PFA Player of the Year gong should be looked upon as one of the most prestigious individual awards in world football.
Unfortunately, it’s in danger of becoming akin to an Under-10's Most Improved Player award, and if Henderson lifts the trophy this year, that worry will be compounded.