Having captained Liverpool in three Champions League finals, spearheaded the club's first league title success in 30 years and reached the semi-final of the World Cup and final of the European Championships with England, it’s fair to say that Jordan Henderson has enjoyed quite the career.
In fact, there is every argument to be had once the dust settles on his Liverpool career that the midfielder, who was nearly ushered out of the exits of Melwood ten years ago, is perhaps the second-greatest captain Anfield has ever seen. Behind only the legendary Steven Gerrard, of course.
But despite all of the affection he has earned on Merseyside since his £20m switch from his boyhood club, Sunderland, in 2011, Henderson has never, for one reason or another, been accepted into the hearts of England supporters in the same way many of his colleagues have.
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And that concept was verified shortly after 5:30pm on Sunday evening as the teamsheets landed fresh off the print with Henderson’s name alongside Jude Bellingham’s and Declan Rice’s as manager Gareth Southgate named his Three Lions side tasked with booking England’s place in a second consecutive World Cup quarter-final.
For some reason, Henderson, who has been one of the numerous linchpins of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool over the last seven years, is viewed by members outside of the Anfield sphere as a pragmatic, conservative and inadequate footballer who is frequently to blame for keeping the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and more recently James Maddison out of England sides.
But as the midfielder departed the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha on Sunday evening to a rousing reception, 12 years on from his international bow, he seems to have finally shaken off such a narrative with an imperious showing against Senegal in the round-of-16.
Of course, it was at the same stage of the World Cup four years ago that England glared their previous penalty shootout demons in the eyes after a captivating 120 minutes against Colombia and found themselves in desperate need of a hero. Henderson, as he has done throughout his career, selflessly edged himself off the halfway line of the Otkritie Arena stadium in Moscow and positioned himself 12 yards from David Ospina’s goal.
After a distressing intake of breath and four strides towards the ball, he would not hit the jackpot. Instead, he would plummet to the lows of national hostility as Ospina guessed correctly and palmed away his spot-kick, leaving England and Southgate with the prospect of being dumped out of a World Cup on penalties once more.
Although compatriots Jordan Pickford and Eric Dier would combine to help turn the tide of the shootout and seal the Three Lions a place in the last eight of the competition, Henderson's anguish was not vindicated there and then. Instead, he has since encumbered the desperation for acceptance on his ageing shoulders and has seemed to have a point to prove to the Wembley Stadium regulars despite his incredible success on Merseyside in the years since.
But this time around, four years more senior, the Liverpool man was here to deliver a statement. A sizeable one in fact.
Even at the ripe old age of 32, Henderson darted beyond a cluster of Senegal shirts to coolly convert Bellingham’s cut-back after 38 minutes like a seasoned Premier League forward. His extravagant and joyous celebration said it all, usually a calm and commanding figure, the midfielder let loose and made a beeline for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder before jokingly squaring his head in Bellingham's direction.
"A brilliant performance and I saw some of the rubbish that was said about him playing,” was the verdict from the Borussia Dortmund prodigy, who starred once again alongside Henderson in a three-man midfield. “It’s ridiculous, he’s so underrated technically and he’s delivered again in a big game with a massive goal. I think it’s about time he gets respect."
However, it wasn't just the timely goalscoring intervention that Henderson offered in Doha. Once again, just like he did against Wales in the Group B finale on Tuesday, the midfielder was England's metronome in possession and while out of it helped supply Southgate's side with a much-needed dose of dynamism as they were caught lacking to Senegal's readiness to target both Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw on the flanks.
While both Bellingham and Phil Foden will rightly claim the plaudits as England gear up for a meeting with Kylian Mbappe's France next Saturday, Henderson will take great solace from the nature of his second start of the Qatar finals. The most haunting of chapters finally concluded. Respite at last.
Having wildly seen his position in Southgate's 26-man squad become the subject of speculation earlier this calendar year as he laboured in a disjointed Liverpool midfield at times, Henderson has once again returned to defy the odds. Only this time he has done it on the greatest stage of all.
If this is to be his sixth and final international tournament for the Three Lions - a number only Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Sol Campbell can boast - it is perhaps fitting that Henderson eventually received the applause that his commitment, professionalism, dedication and quality has deserved over his last 73 international outings.
Not that Jurgen Klopp or those at Anfield didn't know.
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