Liverpool will soon be looking for their next skipper after Jordan Henderson leaves and what happened to Steven Gerrard could reveal the plan
Ever since he made his Liverpool debut in October 2016, Trent Alexander-Arnold has dreamed of following in the illustrious footsteps of Steven Gerrard.
Since the legendary captain left his boyhood club eight years ago to join MLS side LA Galaxy, Alexander-Arnold has donned the mantle of Scouse at Anfield and made an immeasurable contribution as Liverpool swept Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup triumphs and more in the years since.
In the closing weeks of the 2022-23 Premier League season, the West Derby star’s status as a potential Gerrard heir apparent entered a new phase as he was given a more advanced role as Liverpool looked to bounce back in the eleventh hour and secure Champions League qualification. .
While such efforts would ultimately be in vain, as Manchester United and Newcastle United secured third and fourth places in the final week of the season, Liverpool’s number 66 would breathe new life by registering eight goals in his final. 10 campaign releases. One was a stunning and decisive attack in the closing stages of Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leicester City at the end of May. In the coming weeks, however, Alexander-Arnold could face an unexpected new chapter in his Liverpool career as Jordan Henderson opted to end his glittering 12-year spell at Anfield in favor of a lucrative transfer to the Saudi Pro-League team. Al Ettifaq. The 33-year-old’s impending departure, which follows the departure of vice-captain James Milner earlier this summer, will lead to a significant shake-up within the Anfield management team ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge in just over two weeks.
Virgil van Dijk has captained the Reds 43 times since his world-record transfer to Anfield in January 2018, making him the current side’s most substitute captain. Therefore, he is the best candidate for Henderson’s armband this summer.
The Dutchman’s chances were further boosted during the recent training camp in Germany, where Henderson’s early return to the UK saw the defender’s captain wear the armband for both pre-season games against Karlsruher SC and Greuther Furth.
With an appointment as Liverpool’s new captain, Van Dijk would lead Liverpool’s six-man management group, which has been expanded with the addition of new signings Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson and of course Alexander-Arnold after the fourth to the helm, Gini Wijnaldum ended his five-year stay on Merseyside in 2021 “We had the three that stayed, and then the players voted for three more,” Jurgen Klopp revealed in September 2021. “The three were obviously Hendo, Milly and Virg, and then the most votes were for Trent, Robbo and Alisson Becker.
“Obviously we had a problem last year, because we lost so many players that we didn’t have anyone available in the player committee, so it seemed logical to widen this group a bit. This is what we did.
Although she has seen his stock rise since his first season as a full member of Liverpool’s first team in 2017, six years on, Alexander-Arnold will now no doubt relish the prospect of becoming the face of Klopp’s revamped squad. Liverpool side. And if next season goes to plan, the right-back will pass the 300-game limit for his youth club. At the time of writing, he is 27 games away from the elusive finish.
Alexander-Arnold, also eight years Van Dijk’s junior, has the potential to continue Liverpool’s tradition of appointing long-standing captains since the late Gerard Houllier set the tone in 2003. Olimpija Ljubljana in October 2003, the Frenchman made the bold decision to strip Sami Hyypia of the captaincy in favor of 23-year-old Steven Gerrard.
“I think Stevie has certain leadership qualities that I saw very early in his career,” Houllier said, explaining his decision at the time. “When he was young, he just needed time to grow up. Now he’s 23 and he’s ready. His game and his personality have matured.
Notably, Liverpool have had just two captains in the 20 years since the Frenchman’s bold move in his last spell at Anfield. It comes after Gerrard handed over responsibility to Henderson following his departure from Anfield in the summer of 2015. Should he hand Alexander-Arnold such an honor this summer, Liverpool would be well placed for nearly a decade, while the 24-year-old could also use the immediate seasons to learn from the likes of Van Dijk, Robertson and Mohamed Salah, who are all captains of their respective nations.
On the pitch, Alexander-Arnold has the quality to one day achieve a level of success at Anfield like Gerrard, the defender once described by Henderson as having all the qualities of a ‘Galactico’ confirming himself as arguably the most influential Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League winning season. “A hugely proud moment for me and the people who helped me get there,” said Alexander-Arnold during his only stint as first-team captain in December 2020. “Obviously you have to give.” A big thank you to the manager and staff who voted me captain of the team tonight. For me personally, it was a really proud evening. I think I will keep good memories of this evening when I was captain for the first time.
Scouse’s talent was also dubbed the ‘future captain’ by assistant coach Pep Lijnders in his book published last summer.
And with Liverpool now looking to perpetuate themselves after losing that experience in the summer, Alexander-Arnold could prove to be the answer both on and off the pitch.
