An autobiography full of real insight into the life of a top-flight footballer, Henderson’s story also carries an inspirational message for anyone facing hurdles and barriers, that they will not stop you reaching your goals.

What makes a great football captain? Is it the best player in the team or the most consistent? The loudest voice or the best communicator? Someone who plays with their heart or their head? The person who leads by example on the pitch or off it? In truth, ideally it is a combination of all of these things, and more besides. Names like Tony Adams, Roy Keane, Wes Morgan, Vincent Kompany and Steven Gerrard often feature in discussions of the Premier League’s greatest captains. These are players who not only won trophies for their clubs but also led their teams physically and emotionally – they became, in a way, extensions of the badge. Tony Adams was Arsenal, Roy Keane was Manchester United, Wes Morgan was Leicester City. They were the figureheads for their clubs, undoubted leaders on the pitch with personas that matched. Each had his own style, his own challenges to face and each left an enviable footballing legacy. These are big boots to fill, but arguably Jordan Henderson has not only filled these boots but made them even bigger. Not only that, but the essential decency of Henderson as a man shines through: his leadership in the #Playerstogether initiative to support health workers during Covid; his passionate support for inclusion including Premier League players taking the knee; his fierce opposition to the abandoned European Super League project on the grounds of sporting integrity. There is also a real sense of his kindness and compassion to the players he leads and the staff at Liverpool, his great relationships with England colleagues and the sense he is a leader among Premier League captains. Perhaps the main reason this England team have so captured the imagination of the country at large is not their feats on the pitch but the sense that on some level these young men represent the best of us: honest, selfless, tireless, compassionate, moral. Before this country’s biggest football game in half a century, there is perhaps no greater tribute to this England side than the idea that one of their most important players isn’t even playing for them. Tags: book review, Coventry City, England, Jordan Henderson, Liverpool, Michael Joseph books, Sunderland, Three Lions The No.14 charts his career of more than a decade and counting at Anfield from when he first signed for the Reds in 2011, a spell that has included 463 appearances and seven trophies so far during his tenure as captain.There is much to enjoy in the book about life at Liverpool, the early days of Klopp’s reign, struggles with injury, memorable nights (for different reasons) in Kyiv and Madrid and that compelling first Premier League title in thirty years, but what defines Henderson are his values and his ethos. He speaks eloquently and honestly on everything from the pressures of social media and the challenges of criticism to racism, the failed Super League and the privileges of being a footballer. His words carry weight, as do his actions, and on and off the pitch he epitomises what it means to be a captain, what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a role model. With him, Liverpool have experienced one of their most successful periods in history – a coincidence, I think not. Without him, this would have been a very different story.

In June 2015, Jordan took the reins from Steven Gerrard. Under his captaincy, Liverpool have won six trophies headed by the Champions League and the Premier League, bringing the club its first league title in 30 years. In this book, Jordan charts his decade-long journey with the Reds - he is one of only five men to play ten season for the club in the modern era - as well as his incredible experiences within the England squad. He is the only player in history to have been named England Player of the Year at both under-21 and senior level. In this, his first autobiography, Jordan reveals how an early love for the game as a kid became an all-consuming passion growing up in Sunderland and the moments and role models that encouraged him to follow his dream to play for his home club. Transferred to Liverpool in June 2011, Jordan's early years at the club saw him struggle to settle under Sir Kenny Dalglish then Brendan Rodgers before eventually establishing himself at Anfield as a force of nature in midfield. More importantly, it's also a lesson in perseverance, hard work, self-belief, leading by example and always trying to do the right thing.Perhaps the most interesting part was Henderson recalling his Dad’s battle with cancer but insights into his personal life were few and far between. It follows a format and doesn’t really deviate. Is a solid collection of facts but not enough emotion for me. It is easy to forget too that Henderson and his career was in its relative infancy when he arrived at Anfield from Sunderland in 2011 and the task of making his mark and forcing his way into a Reds side looking to recreate Liverpool’s glory days would have daunted many. Henderson not only battled it out, but he turned around perceptions and then stepped up to fill perhaps the biggest void in recent Liverpool history when the iconic Steven Gerrard left. Henderson’s autobiography is testament to his determination, his endeavour and his responsibility. There’s also an incredible maturity, a willingness to accept his flaws and crucially work at them and to understand the importance of the team and to play his part. The book reflects Jordan’s personality 100%, and you can tell that he has definitely had a big input in writing it. This is not an autobiography in which the subject blows his own trumpet for the entire book, Jordan mentions many many people who have been influential in his life and career.

I started supporting this club right before he arrived. He has been a constant, and from the start, I knew he was a perfect fit to the club. He worked hard, he understood the club.In June 2015, Jordan took the reins from Steven Gerrard. Under his captaincy, Liverpool have won six trophies headed by the Champions League and the Premier League, bringing the club its first league title in 30 years. In this book, Jordan charts his decade-long journey with the Reds – he is one of only five men to play ten season for the club in the modern era – as well as his incredible experiences within the England squad. He is the only player in history to have been named England Player of the Year at both under-21 and senior level. A brilliantly told story with a uniquely vivid sense of what it is like on the pitch in matches of extreme importance . . . The perfect book for all football fans' DAILY MAIL 'SPORTS BOOKS OF THE YEAR'