Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to Jordan Henderson after his captain’s move was confirmed, hailing his longest-serving skipper as a “legend” who he hopes to see again soon.
After 12 years at Anfield, Henderson has moved on and he has left his captain’s armband behind as he swapped Klopp’s Liverpool for Steven Gerrard‘s Al Ettifaq.
The 33-year-old has already said his farewells and Klopp has now had his turn upon the confirmation of the deal, sending a message to Henderson after nearly eight years together.
Here is what Klopp had to say in full in his video message from Liverpool’s social accounts:
“Hi, skipper,” he starts. “We will miss you, you know that. You will miss us, I know that. But it’s life.
“It’s not forever, it is just a goodbye. It’s wishing good luck, you wished it to us and we wish it to you.
“We will follow you, you will follow us. I said in the beginning when I arrived here that life should be that we all collect together, and when we are together, we collect stories together.
“You are a legend. I know people say recently we use that word slightly too often, I can tell you, that it’s not in your case.“
The boss says goodbye to the skipper @JHenderson ?? pic.twitter.com/0QgjshRYTn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2023
“We make it our story. When you look back now already, I think you can’t avoid a smile – and I feel exactly the same.
“So, the longest-serving skipper for me, I always had long-serving skippers, [Sebastian] Kehl, seven years (at Dortmund), [Dimo] Wache, seven years and three months (at Mainz). You are seven years and eight or nine months, so you won that race as well!
“I will miss you. I will miss the talks we have, not always easy talks, but I wish you the best of luck.
“You, Becs and the kids, I wish you the best of luck for this journey.
“If nobody told you yet, I will tell you now. You are a legend.
“I know people say recently we use that word slightly too often, I can tell you, that it’s not in your case.
“All the best, skip. Speak soon, see you soon and I hope you find time to come back and we can say goodbye as a club properly because that’s what you deserve.
“Thank you, see you soon. And don’t forget, you’ll never walk alone.”
In a longer interview on the club’s website, Klopp praises: “This midfield Fabinho, Hendo, Gini & then Millie, these four for three positions, I think nobody would have said it would be a successful midfield because something is lacking – but nothing was lacking because the boys were all a real package.
“That’s what was so good and Hendo was a super-important part of that.
“Some great goals and now after he leaves, we will remember even the goals; there were maybe not exactly as many as there could have been, but some fantastic goals.
“One I will never forget was the one at Chelsea, it was a real screamer into the far corner.
“Top-class professional, top bloke and a really, really, really good player. That’s what you need to be if you want to play that long for Liverpool.
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