Jordan Henderson was named as Football Writer's Football of the Year this morning, and while you can argue whether he was the ideal choice for the award, it is hard to begrudge him receiving such recognition.
The Liverpool captain has had a remarkable journey at the club, going from big money signing, to apparent failure, working his way back to captain, dealing with some major critics in recent years, to winning this award reserved for the best player in the Premier League.
He is the leader of this Liverpool, exemplifying the character that Jurgen Klopp requires from each of his players.
Henderson owes a lot to his manager who showed incredible faith in him. The German has replaced almost every player in the first team since he arrived in 2015, with Henderson one of the few to remain a constant.
He was given his award this afternoon, also receiving a special tribute from his manager. You could see what it meant to him. Here's what Klopp had to say.
Newly-crowned @theofficialfwa Footballer of the Year @JHenderson gets emotional when he watches the video of Jurgen Klopp's heartfelt message 😢#beINPL #LFC #FOtY20 pic.twitter.com/Vx1NpvmPjd
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) July 24, 2020
One of the big questions in football is what makes a proper player? Is it talent or is it attitude? I think the easy answer is 'without talent you are nothing, without attitude you will stay a talent forever'.
You are the perfect example that the mix can make the difference. Who would have thought that they young fella coming from Sunderland to Liverpool with big dreams would one day be the best player in the Premier League?
Maybe you dreamt of it, but I'm not sure you thought it would happen. I know you are confident enough to have big dreams, but now is the moment that everybody saw it.
Everybody saw what a great player you are, what a great personality you have, what a great character you are. I know the person you are behind the player would deserve an award as well.
Many congratulations, well deserved. What an outstanding achievement, what a year you had, what a career you've had. The best news is that there's still a lot to come.
High praise indeed.
