Ex-Sunderland striker Martyn Waghorn lifts the lid on Jordan Henderson’s early years
Martyn Waghorn has lifted the lid on Jordan Henderson’s early years at the Stadium of Light, writes Peder Leufstedt Nyström.
Retired Sunderland striker Martyn Waghorn has lifted the lid on Jordan Henderson’s early years at the Stadium of Light.
During a recent episode of popular football podcast Undr the Cosh, Waghorn joined Chris Brown, Jon Parkin and Chris J. Brown to offer some candid insight into what happened on and off the pitch during his time with the Black Cats.
Waghorn left Sunderland to join Leicester City following a successful loan at the club, where he played under former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and later won promotion to the Premier League with Nigel Pearson.
However, before that, he was one of many youngsters climbing the ranks at Sunderland. Other talent mentioned by Waghorn who were trying to break through to the first team at the time included Jack Colback, Robbie Weir and Michael Kay, but most importantly – Jordan Henderson.
Brown kicked off the discussion by recalling Henderson’s tiny frame as a youth player, saying: “I couldn’t believe Jordan me. As of 14 or 15, he was like that,” while holding up his little finger.
Waghorn insisted the slight build never masked Henderson’s ability: “I guarantee you, 15 to 16. He was a good player. Really good player. Tidy,” he said, while acknowledging that his underdeveloped physique at 50kg required the future England international to outwork his teammates.
“He just fit us out. Worked hard. Just gave everything.” Henderson left the Stadium of Light in 2011 when he made the move to Liverpool, managed at the time by Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Although he has recently returned to the Premier League, having joined Brentford this summer to bring skill and experience to Keith Andrews’s centre midfield. His return comes after brief spells abroad at Ajax Amsterdam and Al-Ettifaq, where he reunited with fellow Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who was manager of the Saudi Arabian side at the time.
Ahead of his fifth season at Merseyside, Henderson inherited the captaincy from Steven Gerrard, following the latter’s departure to the MLS. Henderson went on to become one of the most successful captains in Liverpool history, raising the Champions League trophy in 2019 and then leading the club to their first Premier League title in the 2020 season.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Brown also reminded listeners of Henderson’s appearance on Soccer AM’s Skill Skool, where he famously lost a skills contest to academy teammate Nathan Luscombe, who failed to break into the first team at Wearside, but had a two year stint at Hartlepool United in the early 2010s.
“He did Skill Skool, remember? Honestly, the legs on him – like that,” Brown said, again raising his little finger.
Former Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City striker Jon Parkin chimed in, offering some perspective on Henderson’s weight at that age, saying: “So, just to put that into perspective – my left leg’s 50kg.”
Despite the banter, Waghorn continued to praise his former teammate. “He was a great player. He just hadn’t developed at that stage,” he said. “Which is funny – I was a tank at about 12, so I got away with it.”
Your next Sunderland read: Forgotten Sunderland man set for rare loan opportunity amid injury blow - reports