Reports: Jordan Henderson To Succeed Steven Gerrard As Liverpool Captain

Jordan Henderson has big shoes to fill, both on and off the field.

Liverpool will appoint Henderson as its new captain as early as Friday, The Liverpool Echo and The Telegraph reported Thursday. Henderson will succeed Steven Gerrard, who left Anfield for the Los Angeles Galaxy last week, as Liverpool’s skipper.

Brendan Rodgers named Henderson Liverpool’s vice-captain before last season, and the manager appears to have promoted the well-rounded midfielder less than 12 months later.

Rodgers is thought to have considered Martin Skrtel, Emre Can and new signing James Milner for the captain’s position, but Henderson always was the favorite choice among prognosticators.

Henderson, 25, has been a mainstay in Liverpool’s midfield since joining the Reds from Sunderland in 2011. He struggled early in his Anfield career but overcame the difficulties and earned the faith of his coach, teammates and fans. Henderson also earned a new contract in April, which runs until 2020.

Gerrard said in January Henderson would be a worthy successor as Liverpool captain. It seems Gerrard, who captained the Reds for 11-plus years, was right all along.