Henderson ready for challenge of a midfield overhaul at Liverpool

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is ready for the challenge a midfield overhaul will bring next season, and is confident he and the team can rediscover the consistency which will allow them to close the gap to Manchester City.

Midfield is the key area which needs a refresh at Anfield this summer and, with the club confirming on Wednesday the departures of veteran James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex OxladeChamberlain – in addition to forward Roberto Firmino – there will be some new faces for the next campaign.

Henderson will be 33 by then and entering his 13th season at the club but is relishing the competition which he may face, with Liverpool interested in Brighton & Hove Albions’ Argentinian World Cup winner Alexis

Mac Allister as one of their options.

“I don’t think it’s a rebuild to be honest. I do think there will be new players coming in. A rebuild is changing an entire team – which I don’t think we will be doing,” Henderson said.

“I think you have a lot of core players in the team that will still be there and are still ingreatshapetocompeteand be successful.

“But yes, it will need freshening up of course, with players leaving and trying to improve the team.

“I am sure players will be coming in at some point to give us a boost and freshen things up a bit and hopefully put us in good position come the first game of the season.”

On what that means for him personally, he added: “It’s always a challenge, especially at Liverpool, there will always be challenges for places and to play games.

“That’s the case ever since I came to the club. Come preseason I’ll be ready for the challenge again.

“Motivation never changes really, it is always about improving and being better, individually and as a team.

“Always new challenges come along, different things will happen and you will have new challenges throughout the season.

“There is always a challenge in football to improve, to be better and that motivation always stayed the same to be successful.

“I’m confident we can reach the levels we are capable of again, definitely. We have shown that over the past six or seven games and it’s about continuing that.”