Henderson return close; praises Klopp ‘freedom’

Matt Stead

Jordan Henderson believes he is closing in on a return from injury, with the Liverpool captain praising his side’s new-found “freedom” under Jurgen Klopp.

Henderson has not played since the second game of the season against Bournemouth in August, having injured his heel before breaking his foot in training.

The captain’s return date has only ever been given as ‘in November’, and he feels as though he is closing in on a long-awaited return to fitness.

“I’m getting there,” Henderson told Sky Sports. “This is one of the longest periods of time I’ve been out for and that has been tough for me. Hopefully I’m not too far away now.”

Henderson has not played under new boss Klopp as a result of his injury, but praised the “freedom” with which his team-mates are playing under as a result of the German.

On the 4-1 victory over Manchester City on Saturday, Henderson added: “I thought the lads were outstanding from start to finish. Hopefully that can set a standard for us for the rest of the season.

“That shows how well we can play and we just need the consistency and to keep playing with the freedom that we did on Saturday.

“The manager has made a big impact and he’s been fantastic for Liverpool and for the Premier League. Hopefully we can keep learning from him and improving.”