Liverpool Midfielder Credits Rodgers Influence After Uncertain Start

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has placed all the credit for his enhanced performances at the feet of his manager Brendan Rodgers.

Once ridiculed for his inflated price tag after Liverpool paid Sunderland £20m for the midfielder two years ago, the introduction of Brendan Rodgers at the Liverpool helm has seen the player gradually become a consistent force in the Reds engine room.

The 23-year-old has played every minute of Liverpool's three Premier League campaign thus far and the former Black Cat has been rightly credited for enhancing his game, but Henderson himself believes the most telling contribution has come from his manager.

"I feel as though I've progressed over the last year or two," Henderson told Liverpool's official website.

"I'll try and push on. The manager has been brilliant with me and everybody else here. He's been fantastic on a personal level.

"I think I've improved my game since he's come to the club and he's helped me do that. We worked very hard pre-season and then in the games we have looked pretty solid as a team. The manager has definitely been working on that during the pre-season. Last three home games, we've done really well."

Liverpool sit top of the Premier League heading into the international break having recorded three back to back 1-0 victories, the sweetest of which came at Anfield on Sunday as Rodgers' side toppled Manchester United.

With trips to Swansea City and Henderson's former club Sunderland either side of the visit of Southampton to follow, the midfielder hopes the euphoria of beating their arch rivals will last.

"Beating Manchester United gave us a great boost and it kept the winning mentality and the momentum going, but we know that it's going to be difficult in our next few games, so we'll have to keep focused and hopefully we can keep putting in performances like that.

"I've been happy with the way the first three games have gone, in terms of my own performances, but there's always room for improvement. There are a few things I want to change in my own game but I tend to keep them to myself."