Tuesday, 22nd July, 2014
Jordan Henderson feels Steven Gerrard’s international retirement is good news for Liverpool.
The Reds skipper, who represented England 114 times between 2000 and 2014, bid adieu to international football yesterday.
And Henderson acknowledged Gerrard’s contribution as an England player, but the Liverpool midfielder was quick to add that the 34-year-old will be playing for the Merseyside giants with extra vigour from now on.
"He's probably been the best player this country has ever seen – not only as a player, but also as a leader and a captain”, he explained to Liverpool’s official site.
"For me, playing with him is a pleasure and hopefully I can continue to do so for a very long time at Liverpool.
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"For England supporters, it's disappointing because he's such a big player, but at the same time, for Liverpool fans it's a big plus because it means he'll be fresher and can have more breaks when internationals are on – and he'll be raring to go."
Liverpool returned to the Champions League after a gap of five years by virtue of finishing the 2013/14 Premier League campaign in second spot.
And Henderson, who backed Gerrard to make a huge impact in the upcoming season, believes the ex-England skipper will be desperate to play in the continental competition.
"He's still got a huge part to play [at Liverpool]. That's probably swayed his decision in terms of being fresh for the Champions League”, the England international added.
“He wants to make sure he's 100 per cent in every game for the club. That is what will have been playing on his mind, and he'll have a huge impact this season."
Gerrard, who scored 21 international goals, captained England on 38 occasions.
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