The real reason Chelsea signed Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson’s move to Chelsea represents one of the more peculiar transfers of the summer. But dig a little deeper and the logic becomes at least more convincing. A player in the twilight of a glittering career is returning to one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Awkward spells with Al-Ettifaq and Ajax were followed by a more productive and defined role in an excellent Brentford season last term.
It is there and in his latest cameo at the World Cup with England, which saw him make just one appearance across seven minutes against Panama, that the 36-year-old’s immediate value has emerged. Blues fans will have to be patient, though, with Henderson away on holiday as the club navigates a pre-season tour in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Beyond that break after the Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals, Henderson is still recovering from a wrist fracture following a freak accident that saw him stumble over an advertising board during celebrations at the Azteca after victory over Mexico.
His arrival, alongside 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, represents a clear shift in BlueCo’s policy of exclusively signing young players whose value should appreciate. But perhaps this is the inevitable evolution of a policy partially tied to the Premier League financial rules, with squad cost ratio (SCR) replacing profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Chelsea had an average age of 23.5 years in their Premier League starting lineups last season, 1.3 years younger than the next youngest team, Sunderland, and 2.2 years younger than champions Arsenal.
Despite winning Conference League and Club World Cup trophies in the past 14 months, the team’s inability to endure the long-term stress of a league campaign could be tied to inexperience and an immature mentality among certain members of the squad, as seen by Enzo Fernandez’s rash challenge in the World Cup final to earn himself a red card. The balance is key, not only for results on the pitch but in the progress of a player’s development and value in the market.
Yet Chelsea finished bottom of the Premier League’s fair play table last season, with 86 yellow cards and eight red cards, four more than any other club. Beyond the immediate implications of in-game management, matches missed through suspension clearly impacted the chase for a Champions League place. Henderson should help fix minds when tempers flare, on the pitch and even in training.
“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, signed from Aston Villa for £117m this summer, remarked 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.”
That reputation goes further, even if Roy Keane prompted sniggering from some with his condescending suggestion for why Henderson was included in the England squad at Euro 2020: “Does he do card tricks?”
Alonso walks into a chaotic environment, one that is evolving continuously with a revolving door at Cobham. And the consistency of training and focus will be paramount to his idea transferring to the pitch immediately.
“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 remarked. “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.”
With a slimmed-down schedule and no European football after the Blues spiralled out of control following the sackings of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, Henderson’s opportunities for playing time will be reduced this term.
But beyond Moises Caicedo, who will indisputably anchor the midfield, the other engine-roomers all have question marks. Doubts remain over the future of Fernandez, while Romeo Lavia’s fitness makes him unreliable for the foreseeable future. Dario Essugo could temporarily depart, and Valentin Barco’s stature or versatility to fill in at left-back might see the Argentine introduced gradually. Other options, including a bright display in pre-season from 16-year-old Reggie Watson, could see Henderson afford Alonso time to develop a squad with a surprising number of minutes heading the veteran’s way early in the campaign.
“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.
“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 can certainly lean on his experience. And at a club that has famously lacked stability, he might be just what Chelsea need.
