Clarke Hails Liverpool’s £20m Starlet

Liverpool No2 Steve Clarke believes Jordan Henderson is proving why they spent big-money to sign him from Sunderland.

The England U21 star has started to settle at Anfield since his surprising £20m switch in the summer. The England ace set up Luis Suarez’s winner during last weeks Carling Cup win over Stoke with a delightful pass over the top of the defence, and Clarke feels that Henderson is starting to prove his worth:

“It’s always been the case in football that the goalscorer gets the headlines but sometimes the assist is just as good,” the first-team coach told liverpoolfc.tv. “For all Luis did the hard work himself for the first goal, it was a fantastic first-time ball in from Jordan for the second goal.

“A pass like that catches the defence unaware. If Jordan takes a touch the defenders have time to adjust and maybe we don’t get the goal.

“That’s why the club’s made the investment in Jordan – he’s one for the future but he’s one for now as well. He’s got great qualities, he loves working at his game, he wants to get better all the time and for a young player that’s a fantastic attribute. You saw on Wednesday that he has the quality to turn games.

“He’s got great energy on the pitch, he likes to get forward. His contribution is there to be seen.”