Henderson signs 'long-term' Liverpool deal

Liverpool announced on Thursday that England midfielder Jordan Henderson has signed a new "long-term contract" with the Premier League club, which is believed to be a five-year deal.

The 24-year-old has become a key player for manager Brendan Rodgers over the last two years and is expected to succeed Steven Gerrard as captain when Gerrard leaves for Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season.

Liverpool did not reveal the value of Henderson's new contract, but British media reports suggested it was worth around £100,000 ($150,000, 139,700 euros) a week.

"I'm over the moon that it's finally done. There has been talk about it for a while now," Henderson, whose previous contract was due to expire next year, told the Liverpool website.

"It's brilliant news for me to commit my future to this football club. I really feel that it's a good time for us to look forward to the future, with the squad we've got, the manager, the size of the club and the fans we've got.

"I really think, over the next few years, we can challenge and start winning trophies. That's the next phase; we've improved massively over the last few years, and I think the next phase for us is to start challenging for titles and trophies as well."

Henderson arrived from Sunderland in June 2011 in a deal worth around £20 million and has since made 180 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 20 goals.

He was offered an opportunity to join Fulham when Rodgers was appointed manager in 2012, but elected to fight for a place and went on to become a central figure in the team that narrowly missed out on last season's league title.

"Jordan is a brilliant professional and his dedication to his career and football in general makes him a role model to all young players," said Rodgers, who made Henderson his vice-captain last September.

"He has faced adversity in his time at Liverpool, but his improvement, growth and development is entirely down to his own hunger, commitment and willingness to learn and be better.

"The fact he has made such a long-term commitment to Liverpool is a sign of his belief in what we are looking to do here.

"He will have a crucial role to play as we look to take this side forward and look to add success to the progress we have made."

Henderson, capped 20 times by England, follows team-mates Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge in pledging his long-term future to Liverpool this season.

But contract talks with Raheem Sterling have reached an impasse, with the 20-year-old forward -- whose contract expires in 2017 -- revealing recently that he has rejected a new offer worth £100,000 a week.
Source: AFP