Andy Robertson has warned Liverpool’s midfield to expect a fierce battle when they face former captain Jordan Henderson and Brentford this weekend.
Andy Robertson knows better than most what awaits Liverpool at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday evening and the man leading Brentford’s midfield charge will be a familiar face.
For the first time since leaving Anfield under a cloud in 2023, Jordan Henderson will face the club he captained to Premier League and Champions League glory, bringing an added edge to what is already a demanding fixture for Arne Slot’s side.
At 35, Henderson has refused to fade quietly into the background. After brief and testing spells in Saudi Arabia and then Ajax, the former Reds captain has found his footing again in West London.
He’s become an integral part of Keith Andrews’ Brentford, a side who have rediscovered some of their bite and intensity with him at the heart of midfield.
Liverpool, who ended a four-game losing streak in emphatic style with Wednesday’s 5-1 Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt, will need to match Brentford’s aggression and organisation and Robertson knows from experience what that entails.
“It’s such a difficult team to play against, especially when we’re coming up against an old captain,” Robertson told LFCTV, smiling at the thought of facing a man he shared six seasons with.
“What he did for our club is amazing. What a servant to our club he’s a legend. He helped us bring the Premier League back for the first time in a long time, lifted the Champions League.
“Look, he’s an absolute legend of this club, he’s moved on, he’s back at Brentford and I think he’s putting in performance after performance there. So, our midfield’s going to need to be at it, because I can say for a fact that Jordan Henderson will be at it. He was at it every single day for us and that won’t change at Brentford.”
That determination was one of Henderson’s defining traits at Liverpool relentless work-rate, a voice constantly urging higher standards, and a willingness to do the unglamorous work that often made others shine. Inside the dressing room, he was not just captain in name but heartbeat in spirit.
Robertson, who has stepped into a senior leadership role himself under Slot following the summer departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, knows what that example meant.
“Hendo is an absolute legend of our club, what he’s done for us within the changing room and the trophies he lifted,” Robertson added.
“It’ll be nice to see him, but I know he’ll be up for the fight like he always is, and our midfield will have a hell of a battle against him. Hopefully, if we get the win, I can have a nice catch-up with him after the game.”
He admitted, however, that there would be no pre-match messages exchanged.
“I think if I even tried, I don’t think he would text me,” he joked. “So I’ll save that for after the game.”
Liverpool’s midfield has undergone a transformation since Henderson’s departure, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz representing a new era. Slot’s side looked far more cohesive in Germany, and there is a growing belief that Wednesday’s win with five different scorers.
Liverpool’s midfield options, particularly the athleticism of Szoboszlai and the intelligence of Curtis Jones, will be key to keeping Henderson’s influence in check. Jones impressed in midweek alongside Wirtz, and there’s a growing case for him to start again, not least because he knows Henderson’s habits and leadership instincts inside out.
Slot’s decision may hinge on Gravenberch’s fitness, but the manager could well see value in emotional familiarity. Jones and Henderson once shared a mentor-protégé bond Saturday night may test both sides of that relationship.
For Henderson, there’s also a personal motivation. His Anfield exit was messy the result of timing, opportunity, and shifting priorities under new management. His short-lived stint in the Saudi Pro League dented his reputation in some quarters, but his return to the Premier League has been one of quiet redemption.
Recent assists against Chelsea and Manchester United have underlined that his energy and range of passing remain intact, even if the legs move a little slower these days. What hasn’t dimmed is his competitiveness the same edge that once defined Liverpool’s best nights under Jurgen Klopp.
That, perhaps, is why Robertson’s warning carries weight. He knows Henderson will see this game not just as another fixture, but as a statement proof that he can still dictate games at this level, against players he once led into battle.
Liverpool, sitting nine places above Brentford in the table, cannot afford to underestimate that motivation.
For Robertson, though, the focus remains clear.
“Brentford are a tough team,” he said. “We’ll need to be at our best all over the pitch. Hendo will give everything like he always does and we have to do the same.”
When the final whistle blows, the respect between the two will no doubt be evident. But before that, friendship will give way to familiar fire.
