Jordan Henderson has followed in the footsteps of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Luis Suarez by taking the captain’s armband at Ajax.

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England international in the NetherlandsReturned to Europe from Saudi ArabiaVast experience being put to good useWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn is skipper in Amsterdam, but he has joined vice-captain Steven Berghuis on the sidelines. With two on-field leaders ruled out through injury, another was required to step forward in a home date with NEC.

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Responsibility has been passed on Henderson, who only joined the Dutch giants on January 18. The England international returned to Europe at the start of 2024 as he brought a short-lived spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq to a close.

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An outing against NEC was just Henderson’s fourth for new employers, with the 33-year-old unable to savour a winning feeling through his first three appearances. His vast experience will be put to good use over the coming weeks and months, as Ajax seek to rediscover a collective spark.

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Henderson has captained his country in the past, while the armband was inherited from Steven Gerrard during his time at Liverpool. Across 12 memorable years at Anfield, the hard-working midfielder won eight trophies – including the Premier League and Champions League as skipper.