Jordan Henderson named Europe’s best player by CIES Football Observatory
The world has become an even stranger place, as Jordan Henderson has been named Europe’s top performer by the CIES Football Observatory.
Jordan Henderson might have a very ordinary name, but in no way does this make him an ordinary footballer, although some people seem to forget that. If his name was Jordan Hendersinho or simply Jordinho, he would probably be rated much, much higher than he currently is.
The Liverpool captain and England international has been in exceptional form for the last couple years, being the critical engine in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. It did take him a while to really grow into his potential, and for a while, it looked like he had plateaued, but he is very much an elite player these days.
If you’re unfamiliar with the CIES Football Observatory, then let me give you a quick briefing: they are an analytics company that provides a unique and detailed analysis on world football, for the public to consume. They do this through publishing market values, player performance metrics, and other number-crunching values.
Although CIES does not have the best reputation, due to their unique analysis which many disagree with as it doesn’t necessarily line up with common assumptions or knowledge, they are still a big player in the field of football analytics and they have data to back up their values.
The Liverpool and England international footballer Jordan Henderson is organising a 'Premier League Coronavirus Crisis Fund' to donate millions to the NHS.
— Professor Karol Sikora (@ProfKarolSikora) April 3, 2020
What a fantastic response - well done @JHenderson.
The virus continues to bring out the best in society.
This week, CIES named Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson the best player in Europe for 2020, ahead of players like Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo, and Mbappe. This was concluded by assessing game-by-game performances and analyzing the productivity and efficiency of the players within both individual and collective metrics.
Jordan Henderson’s ability to influence the game both on and off the ball is likely the reason why he is named as the very best player in Europe. Many will disagree with this title, and for very fair reasons. While Henderson is a great player, he is not an extraordinary one who will be remembered for generations unlike some of the players he has been placed ahead of by CIES.
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Of course, these ratings are just for 2020. When you take the entire 2019-20 season into account, Henderson drops to 12th in the CIES ratings.