Experience is a tricky thing to replace but Liverpool will have to do just that following the summer departures of veterans Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
Both players enjoyed great success during their time at Anfield, and now other senior figures will need to step up and try to fill the void for the new campaign.
Henderson And Milner Tough To Replace
While Liverpool will look to replace and possibly try to improve on the quality that both Henderson and Milner provided, it will be far tougher to replace the experience those players brought to the squad over the years. Liverpool are in the process of a minor transition phase and find themselves at 6/1 in the Premier League title odds to lift the trophy this season. Football betting tips have the Reds as title contenders with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal again this term, despite finishing fifth last season after a sluggish start to the campaign. During those hard times in the 2022/23 season, Henderson and Milner will have been big voices in the dressing room trying to drive up standards and rally the troops.
Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq will now have Henderson’s voice in their camp, after the England midfielder’s decision to reunite with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Milner decided on a move to stay in the Premier League and will likely get a warm reception on his return to Anfield with his new club Brighton. With just over 800 appearances for Liverpool between Henderson and Milner, the Reds have now been tasked with filling that void going forward.
Defensive Unit Can Make The Step Up
Scotland skipper Andrew Robertson will already be a big voice in the dressing room but the 29-year-old is likely to be even more influential this season. With the experience of captaining his country, who are on course to reach the next European Championships in Germany, Robertson is clearly a leader on and off the field. The former Hull City star will have learned plenty from working under model professionals like Henderson and Milner, and Robertson looks ready to take on even more responsibility at Liverpool.
There’s little doubt that club skipper and Netherlands international Virgil van Dijk is a player everyone in the Liverpool dressing room will look up to. As one of the best defenders in the game, Van Dijk inspires with his play on the field and driving up standards of it in training. While it was two contrasting English accents in Henderson and Milner that will have been rallying voices in the dressing room, it might well be Scottish and Dutch calls ringing around the dressing room before kick-offs this season.
Henderson and Milner were great servants to Liverpool during their time on Merseyside, enjoying great European and domestic success. That era has been and gone and it’s up to the likes of Van Dijk and Roberston to help steer this squad to even further success both home and abroad in the years to come.
