Sir Alex Ferguson took a brutal swipe at a player who ended up being a huge success when he signed for Liverpool
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
07:00, 03 Dec 2025
Sir Alex Ferguson took a swipe at a future Liverpool legend(Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once publicly called out Jordan Henderson for his running style. The legendary Red Devils boss had been keeping an eye on the then-promising youngster while he played for Sunderland and considered signing him.
But after sending scouts to watch Henderson in action, Ferguson opted against doing so due to his gait, claiming Henderson “runs from his knees”.
Ferguson brutally said in his autobiography: “We looked at Jordan Henderson a lot and Steve Bruce was unfailingly enthusiastic about him. Against that we noticed that Henderson runs from his knees, with a straight back, while the modern footballer runs from his hips.”
He went on to add: “We thought his gait might cause him problems later in his career.”
United’s loss was Liverpool’s gain as, in 2011, a 20-year-old Henderson joined the Anfield club for a fee of around £20million. He played 37 Premier League games in his first season under Sir Kenny Dalglish and came close to winning the title in 2013/14 under Brendan Rodgers.
Henderson, currently at Brentford, later addressed Ferguson’s comments by saying: “What was written in the book never bothered me.
“To be honest, I looked upon it as a compliment that I got a mention. The fact Alex Ferguson was watching me at some stage must have meant I was doing something right.
“I was never aware of any interest from United and I’m happy with how things worked out. I’m enjoying my football and we’re progressing well as a team. I never felt as if I had a point to prove really except maybe to myself and to Liverpool Football Club in terms of improving as a player.”
Ferguson had kept an eye on Jordan Henderson at Sunderland(Image: Getty Images)
Rodgers, however, took greater offence at the Scot’s words. He said: “I think if Sir Alex ever bumps into Jordan he might want to apologise for that.
“The comment surprised me, I have to be honest, coming from someone with such status in the game. Maybe it was meant as flippant but to a young player making his way in the game it could be damaging.
“Every player is different, and every player at this club has had his strengths and weaknesses medically assessed. The statement in terms of Jordan was inappropriate.”
Henderson responded in the best possible way – with his performances on the pitch. He was appointed captain of Liverpool in the summer of 2015, ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s arrival a few months later.
He played a key role in Klopp’s revolution on Merseyside as the team became more and more competitive, reaching the Champions League final in 2017/18 and lifting the trophy a year later.
Henderson lifted the European Cup in Madrid in June 2019(Image: Getty Images)
Henderson also played 30 league games in 2019/20 as Liverpool comfortably secured their first ever Premier League trophy, which they lifted when the season resumed amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The England midfielder played a total of 492 games for the Reds, scoring 33 goals and notching 58 assists, which barely begin to tell the story of his huge impact on and off the pitch.
He made the shock decision to leave Liverpool for Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq project in Saudi Arabia in 2023, believing he would have limited opportunities at Anfield under Klopp ahead of the new season.
Henderson’s two former sides Liverpool and Sunderland go head to head in the Premier League on Wednesday night at Anfield. His boyhood club Sunderland have started the campaign exceptionally and are currently sixth in the table in their first season back in the top flight.
Reigning champions Liverpool, meanwhile, have one point less after a woeful run of form, which finally ended as they beat West Ham 2-0 at the weekend.
