Despite missing out on both Champions League glory and the Premier League title during the final week of the 2021/22 season, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will have unwavering amounts of pride when he harks back to the trophy-laden campaign in years to come.
Having guided his teammates to FA Cup and League Cup success during the season, the midfielder became the Reds' first captain to lift six different trophies during his time with the armband as he added to the Champions League, Premier League, Club World Cup and Super Cup he had already lofted into the sky since succeeding Anfield Icon Steven Gerrard as captain in the summer of 2015.
But from a personal standpoint, there will be an abundance of satisfaction for Henderson who was an integral part of the 63-game season, underlined by his 57 appearances in all competitions. The most of any player in Jurgen Klopp's squad.
READ MORE: Liverpool might have dropped biggest Jude Bellingham hint yet
The England international missed just six games over the course of the campaign, two of which game in the early rounds of the domestic cup competitions against Preston North End and Shrewsbury Town, while he was also handed the night off as a group-topping Liverpool side travelled to the San Siro to face AC Milan in December.
Henderson also missed the opening Premier League game of the season against Norwich after he was granted additional time off following his commitments to England's Euro 2020 quest. Of his other two absences, one came in December for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur as a bout of flu left the skipper unable to travel to London, while a back injury in February restricted him from playing any part in the 2-0 victory of Leicester City.
When speaking to reporters ahead of the Champions League final in May at the AXA Training Centre, the skipper was quick to salute teammate and fitness guru Mohamed Salah as a factor behind his impressive numbers over the campaign.
He said; "Physically, I feel good. Mo [Salah] has given me tips on recovery and that has helped me a lot!
"I've been really fresh for the majority of the season. Including internationals, it's over 60. That's important for me as I'm in my 30s, so it's nice to put those numbers out."
However, following the celebration of his 32nd birthday during the off-season, Henderson could be set for a slightly less prominent on-field role in the club's bid for success in the upcoming season.
Despite the clamour amongst supporters for Julian Ward and Klopp to bring another midfielder to Anfield this summer after missing out on the signing of AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, the Liverpool manager is seemingly happy with his current options in the middle of the park. Even though links to Jude Bellingham are expected to continue over the coming weeks and months, and even if it would be foolish to rule out a change of stance from either Borussia Dortmund or Liverpool, it is more than likely that any interest in the England international will be parked until next summer.
Following the arrivals of striker Darwin Nunez and attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho, it remains to be seen what formation the Reds boss will prioritise ahead of the new campaign, with the heavily-speculated 4-2-3-1 something that has been sporadically used by the German during his seven-year stay on Merseyside.
But with Klopp having nine senior midfielders on his books, with only one out-and-out defensive midfielder in Fabinho, Henderson could be in line to take up a more reduced role over the coming season as the Brazilian's deputy, whatever the formation.
It's a role the 32-year-old has previous with during his time at Anfield, he was a stalwart of Liverpool's Champions League qualification and subsequent quest to Kyiv in the role as he was deployed as a defensive midfielder 57 times across the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons.
And after struggling for large parts of the 2018/19 season as he fluttered between the No.6 and No.8 role as summer signing Fabinho undertook an adjustment period to settle into Klopp's regime, it was only during the penultimate weeks of the season following a visit to Southampton where Henderson staked a serious claim for a permanent role in his favoured No.8 position.
Emerging from the bench as a second-half substitute, the midfielder helped his teammates turn one point into three as his bullish approach proved too much for the Saints. The captain rounded his stellar cameo off with a late dart into the box to finish superbly and hand Liverpool a 3-1 victory.
“I don’t think the manager had thought about it too much until I mentioned [playing further forward] it to him,” said Henderson the following week in April 2019. "Me and the gaffer just had a conversation. Obviously, he had seen the England games and I felt good playing in that position.
“I suppose when I spoke to the manager, it was (to say) that I do feel more natural in that position: I played there for a long time, I was sort of a box-to-box midfielder when the manager first came. It was something that he said he would think about. I can do both positions and he sees that I can do both. It’s basically what he wants and needs from the team.
“I want to keep contributing to the team. When I play the deeper position my role changes and I try to do different things and I can’t affect it as much in the final third.”
But three years on from Henderson's impressive forward advancements, with the Reds boasting an abundance of youth in their ranks, it could be time for Henderson to take a backwards step as both Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones face hugely bright seasons after the individual disappointment they endured last season.
Speaking back in March on Rio Ferdinand's Between the Lines podcast, the Liverpool captain offered an insight into where his on-field future could be as he enters the twilight of his Anfield days.
"My game adapted when Jurgen came in and I played a lot as a number six, which was tough," said Henderson. "For me, I think I’m more effective as an eight… if you asked the gaffer I'm not sure what he would say."
"I can play both positions [six/eight], and that is down to the gaffer because I never really thought about myself as a holding midfield player. At the beginning it was tough, there were periods where I was thinking 'I’m not quite sure,' but he stuck with us and helped us."
Henderson's qualities in the No.6 were affirmed over the course of his 57 appearances last campaign, with arguably his best showing coming during the 5-0 demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford, where he rounded off his impressive showing at the base of midfielder with an exquisite outside of the boost assist for Salah to grab his third of the afternoon.
And as Fabinho faced a race against time to be fit for the Champions League final after sustaining a muscle injury against Aston Villa, subsequently missing the final two Premier League games of the season and the FA Cup final, Henderson deputised for the Brazilian superbly across the three games as the Reds continued their fantastic unbeaten run.
Henderson's current Anfield deal expires in the summer of 2025 after he penned a four-year extension last summer, and though it is expected he will follow in the footsteps of current Reds veteran James Milner during the latter years of that deal, next season could see the captain enter a new role as Klopp continues to blood the youth of tomorrow.
READ NEXT
Liverpool youngster labelled 'super' by Jurgen Klopp scores first senior goal
Liverpool stance on Roberto Firmino as Jurgen Klopp prepares for new season
Gini Wijnaldum lined-up for 'swap deal' with Juventus midfielder linked with Liverpool
Goalkeeper begged Liverpool manager not to be sold after training ground telling off
Trent Alexander-Arnold sends emotional message to team-mate after Liverpool exit
