Liverpool vs Manchester United: Jordan Henderson on ending the wait for a trophy and not writing off United

Liverpool captain believes the competition for places at Anfield has made them strong enough to capitalise their best ever start to a Premier League season into silverware

Jordan Henderson could resort to footballing cliché.

He's been asked if his Liverpool side are ready to go on and convert the club's best ever start to a league season into a first Premier League title.

The textbook footballer response on such occasions is "We'll just take every game as it comes" of course.

But Henderson is more positive. Much more positive.

"I feel we’re ready. We definitely have the potential to win trophies. But it’s up to us to go and do it on the pitch.

"I have every confidence with the talent that we’ve got and the people in the dressing room that we can go and produce trophies in the very near future and hopefully it’s this season."

There's good reason for such positivity of course with midweek victory over Napoli taking Liverpool into the last 16 of the Champions League again and with Manchester City's defeat at Chelsea last weekend taking Liverpool top of the league, courtesy of a 4-0 demolition of Bournemouth many felt was a season's best.

"The lads are confident obviously with the performances of late and the results we've been getting have been very good. Training has been good preparing for this game and hopefully we can get another good result this weekend," says Henderson.

"This game" is no ordinary game with Liverpool's role as tabletoppers put under strenuous early examination by Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

"It's extra special, Liverpool v United is a big game all over the world. It’s huge. It’s a big rivalry," is how the Liverpool captain sees it.

While 16 points separate the sides in the table, Henderson is wary of the threat from Jose Mourinho's men especially given the lack of Liverpool victories in the fixture recently. United remain the only team Jurgen Klopp has not managed to beat in the Premier League.

Henderson believes Liverpool cannot afford to write off Manchester United (Getty)

"I can’t remember the last time we beat them in the league (March 2014), so that shows how tough a game it is and how good they are really.

"They have fantastic players in the squad, and of course a fantastic manager who has won lots of trophies. I’ve played with the likes of (Jesse) Lingard and (Marcus) Rashford for England and they are top players.

"Probably when you look at the table, you are a little bit surprised that they are not doing as well as they can be. But that doesn’t mean they are less of a threat.

"I saw last season against (Man) City when City were going to win the league and they were getting beaten 2-0 and they came back and won. That shows how much of a threat they are. They have that never-say-die attitude and I’m sure they will be thinking this is the perfect opportunity to come and kickstart their season and to start catching the people ahead of them."

Liverpool have somewhat of a defensive crisis ahead of the game with just two fit centre-backs left in Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold struggling with a foot injury.

But in midfield it is a different story after Klopp enhanced his options in the summer with the arrival of Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Jordan Henderson believes Liverpool are finally onto a winner this season (Getty)

If Henderson felt threatened for his place – there remains a section of the Liverpool support who feel he is not in their ideal 11 – he is instead keen to accentuate the positives of the additional competition.

"You want to make signings, especially the ones we make, because they're top players. It makes the team stronger and gives us a better chance of winning trophies ultimately and that's what everybody wants.

"As players you've got to keep improving, keep learning, keep playing well to get your place in the team. I think that's normal in football, if you look at the top sides in Europe the squads are very good.

"They've got world class players coming in off the bench and it's the same here. Everybody's fighting to play and the manager can only pick 11 so it's difficult for him. But those who maybe don't start have to be ready to come in when called upon."

The Liverpool skipper knows many of the United team well through England duty (Getty)

Henderson has actually played more games against Manchester United and Chelsea (both 16 times) than any other side while at Liverpool, an indication that when it comes to the big games his managers tend to pick him.

He was there in midweek against Napoli, and was seen in an animated exchange of views with Virgil van Dijk after the Dutchman's first half booking.

Henderson felt it was a good sign for his side.

Henderson has shown he is not afraid of dishing out telling offs to his teammates (Action Images via Reuters)

"I love stuff like that because it shows you're a proper team, and it shows you care and want to win. Top teams have that demand from each other. I was having a go at him and he was probably having a go at me!

"We need people demanding from each other and digging in deep when it's tough."

Henderson was a huge part of the last Liverpool side to challenge for the title, the Brendan Rodgers' incarnation of 2013/14, though a crucial suspension meant he missed three crucial games on the run-in as the Reds were pipped by Man City.

"That is something I have had to live with. But things move on quickly and I try to use things like that as learning curves.

"But we are years on here, a totally different squad of players and totally different scenario. I don’t like to look too far back into the past.

"All I’m focused on is to keep winning games for this football club, as much as we can, to be successful and to end up winning trophies."