From national laughing stock to the future captain of Liverpool, Jordan Henderson is in the form of his life.

He seems destined to be the man that club and country will build their teams around in years to come, but is there still a reluctance to acknowledge just how good the 24-year-old actually is?

When Steven Gerrard announced his move to Hollywood, throughout all the sycophantic, obituary-like tributes to their skipper, a common theme was present; Who would step up to replace ‘Mr Liverpool’ himself?

In the months since Gerrard’s attention sapping announcement, Henderson has come into his own, goals and assists to match his trademark industry. It is no coincidence that his side’s resurgence has coincided with the former Sunderland man’s recent stellar performances. He is now the heartbeat of his side.

Following his huge transfer fee from Sunderland, Henderson struggled to live up to his pricetag. Played out of position and low on confidence, his career stagnated.

Euro 2012 was supposed to be his proudest moment, selected for his country for his first major tournament. But social media made sure it wasn’t to be; #HideHendersonsPassport was trending for days after the squad was announcement. His stock had plummeted and to this day some still struggle to see past the jokes and hashtags.

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Under the tactical stewardship of Brendan Rodgers, the central midfielder has flourished. Performing in every role he has been asked to fill, his tactical versatility and discipline is a seriously underrated trait, arguably one his great predecessor has never possessed.

When the armband was first given to Henderson, questions were asked, as they always are of the midfielder but the results of the team under his leadership answer those queries emphatically.

13 games have been played with him leading his team out; he has yet to lead them off in defeat.  Chalking up 10 wins and three draws he is beginning to paint a picture of how Liverpool may fare when the band is passed on permanently.

Like the best leaders, he thrives when his team need him most, his performance against Manchester City, was one of maturity, discipline and technical ability. To cap it off with a stunning goal was simply a demonstration of how much confidence he currently has in his game.

It is commonplace in this country to overrate talent and potential purely down to being born on this very island, but Henderson is a curious case.

Even though he is consistently one of the top performers in the league there is still a sense of anxiety when it comes to rating him. That time should now be over.

When Gerrard does leave Anfield in the summer it should not only be seen as the end of an era but the start of a new one.

Comparisons with the man whom he will be taking the armband off are inevitable. But maybe we should not wish for him to be the new Gerrard.

He could be better.

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