has only been a player for Ajax for less than a month and may have only played once, but his impact on coach John van ‘t Schip’s team is already enormous. This was confirmed in an interview with it Algemeen Dagblad. The midfielder says that he was already ‘warned’ about the Englishman prior to Henderson’s arrival.
It was an open secret that Ajax wanted to add a new controlling midfielder to the selection in January. Not one with just a lot of quality, but above all a lot of experience. In their search, the Amsterdammers ended up at Henderson. The Englishman had exchanged Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq last summer, but after a few months he was ready to return to the European continent. Henderson wants to take England to the European Championship in Germany and Ajax was looking for an experienced midfielder. One plus one indeed turned out to be two.
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Ajax announced the arrival of the former Liverpool captain on Thursday, January 18, but the selection was already preparing for his arrival. “He is going to treat you well,” Ki-Jana Hoever said to Taylor. Hoever exchanged Ajax’s youth academy for that of Liverpool in the summer of 2018. He played four games in the main squad of The Reds and was therefore able to prepare Taylor well for the arrival of Henderson. Taylor tells to be happy with the presence of the Englishman and that he handles his new teammates in a ‘good, natural’ way. “He coaches and repeats continuously. Simple things that he sees and mentions in advance, so that no one forgets them and we can play more on autopilot: hop, go in, turn, bounce. That’s nice for me.”
Taylor himself is also trying to be more verbally present. “But I still have to become more dominant in demanding the ball and directing teammates. No one finds it annoying with him (Henderson, ed.), also because he is a sociable boy. Sometimes he also calls boys over. Then he asks, for example, how I prefer to receive the ball. During tactical training you can clearly see how he is doing two things at the same time. As he goes in, he helps me squeeze. That shows how experienced he is.” Henderson made his debut in the top match against PSV in white-red-white and immediately things were a lot less open at Ajax. “He knows better than anyone when it is time to apply pressure, or when to back down a little. What you also saw against PSV was that he just keeps going, both in possession and defensively. This also immediately reduced the distances between us.”
Henderson provides an ‘extra boost’
For Taylor it feels ‘really nice’ to have a player like Henderson there. “I also sense that in other boys. The atmosphere was again positive. Because of the trainer, who is direct and clear, but especially because we are winning a lot again. Jordan might provide an extra boost. With us and I think also with the fans, whose hope for better times and place 3 will only grow.” Ajax has not yet lost a competition match under Van ‘t Schip. The Amsterdam team will visit SC Heerenveen on Sunday. Devyne Rensch and Steven Bergwijn are not present and may be replaced by Borna Sosa and Carlos Forbs respectively.
