Hendo needs no reminder of derby importance

In his five-and-a-half years with the Reds, the captain has become attuned to the pressure and responsibility involved in trips across Stanley Park.

And that record against the club’s nearest rivals since he arrived is something the midfielder is determined to preserve in their latest face-off at Goodison Park tonight.

“It’s always a huge game,” Henderson told the Liverpool Echo.

“I don’t really need reminding about the importance of this fixture. I’ve played in enough of them to know how big it is for the city. I feel as though we’re going into it in a good place. Everton are a very good side but we’re confident.

“In derby games I’ve learned that anything can happen. Form doesn’t really matter, it’s just about what happens on the day.

“We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing and not get carried away by the occasion. Focus on doing our job, putting in a performance and coming back with three points.”

A number of summer recruits will step into battle against Everton for the first time this evening, but Henderson has no qualms about their mettle for the challenge.

He said: “It’s a derby so it will be physical. You have to win your battles. A lot of us know what to expect. The new lads have all played in big games and derbies before so they’ll be fine.

“You can’t get too emotional and risk getting sent off. It’s about playing with passion but with discipline as well. Yes, it’s Everton and it’s a derby. But every week is big in the Premier League. We need to look at it as just another chance to get three points.

“Throughout my time at Liverpool the expectation has always been to win. That hasn’t changed. This is a huge football club. There’s a lot of expectation here.

“As a team we put pressure on ourselves to perform and to win every week, no matter who we are facing.”

Divock Origi, who opened the scoring when the sides last met in April and has struck in each of his last five appearances, is likely to lead the line for Liverpool again.

Watch Divock Origi's five goals in five games

The Belgium international has grasped the chance that came his way late last month – and Henderson believes the No.27 can get even better.

“He’s a brilliant lad,” said the skipper. “He works really hard. He’s got great potential but he’s also producing now. I think he’s learning a lot from the manager and the coaching staff here.

“For me, there is no better place in the world for him to be. This is the perfect place for him to learn, improve and get better. The same goes for all of us as players.

“He might not have got as much game time as he would have liked over the first few months of this season. But he stayed patient and worked hard. He was training well and just quietly waiting to get his chance.

“Now he’s been given it, he’s coming up with the goods. He’s produced some really good performances and just needs to carry that on.”

Another teammate to receive praise from Henderson was Adam Lallana, who was the star of the show on Wednesday as the Reds returned to winning ways with a 3-0 result at Middlesbrough.

The Englishman grabbed two goals and set up the other for Origi, continuing his outstanding form since the beginning of the campaign.

Henderson commented: “Adam has been getting headlines for the past few months and rightly so because he’s got goals and assists.

“But for us as a team I think he’s been at this level for the last 18 months to two years with the performances he’s been putting in.

“I don’t think it’s the case that he’s just been doing it for the past four or five months. Since the manager came in, Adam has been brilliant.

“He’s gone from strength to strength. You can see he’s full of confidence at the minute. He’s been arriving in good areas and scoring goals. For us as a team, we always knew how good he is.”