Phillips tells Liverpool skipper Henderson to stop ‘moaning’ after talks held
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson makes a valid point about player welfare – but he should stop moaning and accept the fixture schedule.
So says Sunderland icon Kevin Phillips, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after the 31-year-old let his thoughts on the issue be known.
As quoted by Sky Sports on Wednesday (22 December), Henderson claimed: “I am concerned that nobody really takes player welfare seriously.”
Top-flight managers met to discuss issues surrounding the spike in Covid-19 cases last Thursday (23 December), as per BBC Sport the following day.
But Spurs boss Antonio Conte described the talks as “like talking to a wall”.
Liverpool will play six times in 23 days in January.
Phillips accepts Henderson has legitimate concerns but cited his own playing days and told the England man to get on with it.
“We didn’t moan about when we had to do it,” he told Football Insider’s Dylan Childs.
“Actually, we enjoyed doing it. Deep down, players want to play games.
“You could do away with the game on 28 or 29 December. I’ve said that all along. It’s a game you don’t need to play.
“You could make that up towards the end of the season. It’s all about play, recover, play, recover.
“Nowadays, with the resources that clubs have got… We just got on with it.
“I understand what Jordan is saying, and it is a valid point. But I generally think players enjoy playing at this time of year.”
Henderson has played 23 times this season, scoring three times and registering four assists across those appearances.
He did not feature in Liverpool’s last match, the 2-2 draw with Tottenham on 19 December.
In other news, pundit suggests Mohamed Salah “has done the business after major update on Liverpool contract talks.