Why Jurgen Klopp rejected Jordan Henderson's Champions League claim as Liverpool captain reveals Steven Gerrard's conversation

It was the moment all players dream of, an image that defines careers, creates legends and is a permanent reminder of reaching the top of club football.

Yet Jordan Henderson was ready to give it up.

Such is the personality and humility of the Liverpool captain who, instead of playing a leading role after the triumph of Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Champions League, wanted to share this honor.

A team player until the moment the trophy is lifted.

"That night, it was not for me to lift the trophy," says Henderson. "I felt that Millie and the gaffer should have lifted it together.

"The picture would have had the same meaning if the manager had raised the trophy and if I was behind him. It was more about the team. When I look back and see the faces of guys, that's the most important thing for me. "

Indeed, Henderson could be seen in conversation with Vice-Captain James Milner shortly before approaching the podium.

Read our EXCLUSIVE interview with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the club transfer policy HERE

"I asked Millie and blundered it because I had the impression that Millie was part of the group," he explains.

"I know I wear the armband when I play, but he did it a lot this time too when I did not play.

"It's a big part of the locker room. He is the most experienced player and has won many trophies. I feel as if without it it would have been different.

"And what we did that night would not have been possible without the manager, and I had the impression that he deserved to do it. But he said no. "

Henderson was also told in unequivocal terms – "If anyone else raises you this trophy, he's screwed up on the carpet" – by Milner that he would raise the trophy all by himself, leading to the emblematic image of the skipper propelled the Cup of Europe to the sky while launching a cry as cathartic as celebrant.

Few Liverpool captains received the same level of criticism as the 29-year-old. Klopp, no doubt aware of this, made it clear in his post-game press conference that his skipper was declared the winner of the European Cup.

"Everyone looks forward to the captain when you win a competition, but if you came back a year or two ago, people would have criticized my way of doing things and asked if I should be a captain," Henderson said. expressing about the American club. tower.

"Do not mistake yourself. I am so proud to run this football club and I do not take it lightly. But winning the European Cup was enough. That's what dreams are made of, really.

"It was about having those special moments with the player, the manager, the staff and obviously my father at the end."

At a night rich in memorable footage, the clip of a Henderson in tears kissing his father, Brian, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2013, was one of the most touching .

"He was wearing makeup – he was buzzing," smiled the midfielder. "Listen, that's what it's about.

"I know how much it meant to him and what he had experienced in recent years. So, to see him so soon after our victory, I do not know how he found himself at the edge of the field! It was a really special moment for me.

Then it was party time in the team hotel, where the former skippers Phil Thompson and Steven Gerrard, winners of the European Cup, who Henderson replaced as captain of Liverpool, were among them.

"I saw Stevie the night after the final," he says. "I asked him for a picture with myself and the trophy and he said 'no, it's your night tonight, enjoy it'. I thought it was a good idea, even though I really wanted a picture! "

Henderson, a teetotaler, had considered going wild until the enormity of what had just happened began to come true.

"I do not drink, but when we win the Champions League … I thought it was a special occasion, so I'm going to have a good night," he says with a laugh

"But honestly, I went back to the hotel and I did not even think about it. I was so exhausted emotionally and physically that I felt like I was not there. I was like a shell. I was so overwhelmed.

"It was crazy. I remember some of the guys asking me, "Are you okay? But I could not really understand everything.

Cut to another iconic shot of Henderson aboard the team flying sporting a big smile while using the European Cup as a footrest.

"I did not sleep, I went to bed late, but I lay awake watching the ceiling," he recalls.

"The alarm goes off, I was a zombie! Then you participate in the parade and it's so overwhelming.

"These two days are so important to you that you will never wait. It took a while to get back to normal. You will never know it until you finish and look at your career, and that is when it is going to take root. "

Henderson admits that he was not opposed to thinking about his holidays – "I've watched him several times over the summer!" – but now, the focus is clearly on the future and the upcoming campaign.

This, he thinks, should just be considered the beginning, a stepping stone to another glorious period of success for Liverpool.

"That's what we want to do," says Henderson. "We want to use this victory to give us confidence, to propel us to win even more trophies.

"Winning this trophy will give us a taste of future success. We want to write our own story.

"We do not want to win a trophy and that's all. We want to continue and we will do everything we can to continue on this path. "