Jordan Henderson’s switch to Chelsea stands out as one of the strangest transfers of the summer. But on closer inspection, the reasoning behind it becomes far easier to understand. A player nearing the end of an illustrious career is back at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Difficult spells at Al-Ettifaq and Ajax were followed by a more effective and clearly defined role during Brentford’s excellent campaign last season.
It is from that period, and from his most recent cameo for England at the World Cup, where he played only once for seven minutes against Panama, that the 36-year-old’s short-term importance has become clearer. Chelsea supporters will need to wait before seeing him, though, with Henderson currently on holiday while the club continues its pre-season tour of Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
After that break following the Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals, Henderson is also still recovering from a fractured wrist suffered in a freak incident when he tripped over an advertising board during celebrations at the Azteca after the win over Mexico.
His signing, along with 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, marks an obvious change in BlueCo’s strategy of focusing almost entirely on young players expected to increase in value. But this may simply be the natural next step in an approach that has been shaped in part by Premier League financial regulations, with squad cost ratio (SCR) now replacing profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Chelsea’s Premier League starting line-ups last season had an average age of 23.5, which was 1.3 years younger than the next youngest side, Sunderland, and 2.2 years younger than champions Arsenal.
Henderson suffered his wrist injury in a freak accident at the World Cup.
Even though Chelsea have won the Conference League and Club World Cup in the last 14 months, their inability to cope with the sustained demands of a league season may be linked to inexperience and an underdeveloped mentality among some players, highlighted by Enzo Fernandez’s reckless challenge in the World Cup final that resulted in a red card. Getting the balance right matters, not only for performances on the pitch but also for the development of players and their market value.
Still, Chelsea finished bottom of the Premier League fair play table last season, collecting 86 yellow cards and eight red cards, four more red cards than any other club. Aside from the immediate effect on match control, suspensions clearly harmed their push for a Champions League place. Henderson should help settle minds when tempers rise, both during matches and on the training ground.
“He’s the best guy I’ve ever come across in football. If people did a blind ranking of people they want at the camp beforehand, he’d be in everyone’s top five,” Morgan Rogers, who joined from Aston Villa for £117m this summer, said at the World Cup.
“Hendo is the funniest guy [in the England squad]. Whether he is smiling, no matter how he is, he has that persona and that character.”
Morgan Rogers was full of praise for Henderson.
That standing extends even further, although Roy Keane drew amused reactions from some with his patronising explanation for Henderson’s inclusion in the England squad at Euro 2020: “Does he do card tricks”.
Alonso is stepping into a chaotic setting, one that continues to change constantly with a revolving door at Cobham. And the consistency of training standards and concentration will be crucial if his ideas are to be transferred to the pitch straight away.
“If there’s a problem between two people, he’ll bring them together. He’s that kind of person who even the staff will go to him to sort out issues,” Jude Bellingham said. “He’s got no ego when it comes to supporting the team. He’s a Premier League and Champions League-winning captain, and he was doing the sets for the finishing [in training]. He doesn’t have to do stuff like that; he doesn’t have to be that humble. Every day he’s relentless in training, pushing everyone to be better.”
Jordan Henderson has been unveiled as a Chelsea player.
With a lighter fixture list and no European football after the Blues lost control following the dismissals of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, Henderson is likely to have fewer chances for minutes this season.
But apart from Moises Caicedo, who will clearly be the midfield anchor, the rest of Chelsea’s central options come with doubts. Questions remain over Fernandez’s future, while Romeo Lavia’s fitness issues make him an unreliable option for the foreseeable future. Dario Essugo could leave temporarily, and Valentin Barco’s physical profile or his ability to cover at left-back may mean the Argentine is introduced carefully. Other alternatives, including an impressive pre-season showing from 16-year-old Reggie Watson, could still allow Henderson to give Alonso time to shape the squad, with the veteran perhaps unexpectedly seeing significant minutes early in the season.
“It’s a team sport, everything should be about the team. Everything I’ve tried to do has been for the team and [to] make people around me better, be the best teammate I can be and help other people,” Henderson told the club’s official website. “When I’m on the training pitch, it’s about having relationships to demand from people, then at the right time, have a laugh and a joke, get the balance right. I try to be myself and do what I’ve done for a long time now.
Xabi Alonso will rely heavily on Henderson to help build a strong culture at Chelsea.
“The older you get, you go through a lot of experiences you can relay to younger players – what I’ve been through, see similar situations, try to speak to them, a different perspective. It’s important to do. A lot of people may not want to say anything or get involved, but if you can pass on experience, it’s huge. The older I’ve got, I’ve learnt to do that better.”
So, with 694 club appearances and 91 England caps, Henderson certainly has the experience to draw upon. And at a club that has so often lacked stability, he may be exactly what Chelsea require.
