Former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson has impressed in the early weeks of his career at Chelsea, as the midfielder scored two goals on his previous outing
Jordan Henderson of Chelsea celebrates after the team's victory in the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and AFC Bournemouth
Jordan Henderson has made a quick start to life at Chelsea(Image: (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images))
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has claimed it is "disrespectful" to suggest that Jordan Henderson is just a squad player at Chelsea, as the former Reds captain has made his mark early on for the Blues.
It follows a surprise switch for the midfielder in the summer, when he left Brentford by mutual consent to become a free agent, opening himself up to other opportunities around the Premier League for the future. A move to Stamford Bridge saw the 36-year-old combine with new Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso, who looked to mix some experience with the potential within the squad for the future.
It has been an interesting start for Henderson so far, as the first few weeks came without many minutes on the pitch, as he continued to recover from a broken arm that he suffered during the World Cup after a freak accident in England's win over Mexico.
Since recovering, the midfielder has made two appearances, with the most recent win over Bournemouth coming as his best one yet for his new side.
Henderson rolled back the years, scoring two goals and assisting one along the way, showing that his quality is still there, even if he is nearing the latter stages of his career.
While there has been an expectation that the experienced star would be playing as more of a squad player, former Liverpool captain Gerrard has suggested that the theory is disrespectful to the player.
Jordan Henderson of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s fifth goal with Cole Palmer during the Premier League 2026/27 match against Bournemouth
Jordan Henderson scored a second goal for Chelsea in the second half against Bournemouth(Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Speaking on The Overlap, he said: "That [squad player label] will be annoying him. But I think that would have annoyed James Milner, for example. It will annoy a lot of 33, 34, 35, 36-year-olds.
"I left Liverpool because of it. Brendan Rodgers was saying to me, 'Your game time's going to get less and less. Your contribution's going to be less.' And I still felt like I was Liverpool's best centre midfielder.
"Other people might have a different opinion on that, but that's just how I felt at that time. And that will be annoying Jordan, because I think it's slightly disrespectful to just call someone a squad player who's had that career and is still capable of that type of contribution.
"But the reality is, he's not going to play every game. There's probably a bit more of a respectful way, as a journalist, you could put that across to Jordan, I would say."
It remains to be seen exactly how much playing time Henderson will get at Chelsea this season, but if he continues to contribute in the way he has so far, then there will be an expectation that he plays plenty in the weeks and months ahead.
A reunion is on the cards for the former captain and Liverpool later this month, when the Reds and the Blues face off in the EFL Cup. He could get a warm reception for his contributions with the team at Anfield, years after his exit, though all eyes will be on the home side reaching the next round.