Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he has made up his mind about who will be the next Reds captain following Jordan Henderson’s controversial exit to Al-Ettifaq.
Henderson had held the role for eight years since 2015, inheriting the armband from Anfield legend Steven Gerrard just a few short months before Klopp was appointed.
The German coach saw fit to leave the captaincy as it was when he replaced Brendan Rodgers at the helm and saw Henderson go on to lift multiple trophies as Liverpool skipper.
But the 33-year-old’s exit for a bumper pay day in Saudi Arabia has left a void that must be filled.
“I already know my decision but I have to tell the players first,” Klopp confirmed ahead of facing Leicester in Sunday’s pre-season friendly.
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“Was I surprised when Henderson said he wanted to move on? Of course. We had a relationship for eight years. He knew the situation that we wanted to keep him but if he wanted to leave we weren’t going to throw rocks and stones in the way. It was about reacting to it.
“Jordan will miss us and we will miss him. We have to go on and we will. That is clear.”
Virgil van Dijk is the player widely expected to take over the captaincy. The Dutch defender, who has also captained his national team since 2018, had worn the armband during any Henderson absences in recent years and is the logical choice.
“On the captaincy that’s not been announced yet so I can’t say too much about it,” he said.
“But obviously I’ve been captaining the side multiple times already over the last couple of years and it’s always a proud moment to do that. We will see what the future brings but it would be a huge honour to captain the side.”
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