Jordan Henderson: 'I thrive off Liverpool captaincy'

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has said that he "thrives" off the responsibility of having the armband.

Henderson was named as Reds skipper by Brendan Rodgers following the departure of Steven Gerrard, who led the club for 12 years before leaving for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2015.

The 27-year-old has this season emulated Gerrard by helping Liverpool to the Champions League final, but he insists that it is the team ethic which matters the most to him.

"It gives me great pleasure to see other players around us getting the rewards for our togetherness. [Mohamed Salah]'s awards mean a lot to me because it shows this group has helped him come here and settle into a great team. That shows how good this group of players is as well as what a great player he is," Henderson told the Daily Mail.

"When I took the role on, I wanted to give everything to the team, like I always have, put them first and make sure we have a good dressing room of players who are prepared to work tirelessly for each other and have a good togetherness off the pitch and be a really close-knit group.

"I like that responsibility. That's what I thrive off. I try to lead by example and I have done since I was a little boy. It's in me as a person."

Should Liverpool beat Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday then Henderson would be only the fifth Liverpool captain - after Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Graeme Souness and Gerrard - to lift the trophy.