Sir Alex Ferguson once publicly criticised Jordan Henderson's running style, claiming the midfielder 'runs from his knees'. The former Manchester United manager had considered signing Henderson from Sunderland but ultimately decided against it, fearing his unusual gait could cause problems later in his career.
Ferguson wrote in his autobiography: 'We looked at Jordan Henderson a lot and Steve Bruce was unfailingly enthusiastic about him. Against that we noticed that Henderson runs from his knees, with a straight back, while the modern footballer runs from his hips.' He added: 'We thought his gait might cause him problems later in his career.'
United's oversight proved to be Liverpool's gain. In 2011, a 20-year-old Henderson moved to Anfield for approximately £20 million. He went on to make 492 appearances for the Reds, scoring 33 goals and providing 58 assists, and was instrumental in their Champions League triumph in 2019 and Premier League title win in 2020.
Henderson, now at Brentford, responded to Ferguson's remarks by saying: 'What was written in the book never bothered me. To be honest, I looked upon it as a compliment that I got a mention. The fact Alex Ferguson was watching me at some stage must have meant I was doing something right.'
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was furious with Ferguson's comments, saying: 'The comment surprised me, I have to be honest, coming from someone with such status in the game. Maybe it was meant as flippant but to a young player making his way in the game it could be damaging.'
Henderson left Liverpool in 2023 for Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq project in Saudi Arabia. His former clubs Liverpool and Sunderland are set to face off in the Premier League on Wednesday night at Anfield.
