Who do Liverpool need to sign to retain the title? Keep up with all the Reds news with our free daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

For someone with supposedly a dodgy gait, Jordan Henderson still has opponents running scared.

Henderson smiles when reminded of Sir Alex ­Ferguson’s bizarre claim in his autobiography that “his gait might cause him ­problems in his career”.

Unlike the incensed Brendan Rodgers, who claimed the former Manchester United boss should apologise, the Liverpool midfielder dismisses the comments with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I know it got blown up, but for me, it wasn’t really an issue,” he said.

“It wasn’t really bad, saying my running style wasn’t great.

“No one has ever really said anything to me about my running style.

“It’s just natural for me, and it’s worked so far – touch wood! Hopefully, it will be all right.”

Henderson can be so dignified because his performances speak more eloquently than any words he could utter.

He provides dynamism to Liverpool’s midfield and is a key reason why they are on course to end their four-year exile from the Champions League and have an outside shout of a first title since 1990. Henderson finally feels settled at Anfield after struggling under the expectation caused by the £20million fee Liverpool agreed with Sunderland a week before his 21st birthday in 2011.

The Wearsider was relaxed as he chatted watching Steven Gerrard’s old school – Cardinal Heenan, in Liverpool – play in the ­PlayStation Schools Cup.

“I’ve been here a few years now, and I’ve settled in,” he added.

“This season was obviously a big season for the club, but it was a big season for me as well.

“I wanted to show what I was really capable of. Prior to that, I didn’t really feel I had done that. I felt it was the time to show how good a player I am and that I deserve to be at Liverpool.”

Henderson, 23, who has chipped in with four goals, acknowledges the role boss Rodgers has played in his ­development, while he has also chatted to sports psychiatrist Steve Peters and got to grips with his inner chimp.

Henderson has worked with Peters for 18 months at Liverpool and welcomes Roy Hodgson’s decision to bring him into the England fold for the World Cup to help with penalties.

“You train physically every day to be in the best shape you can be in, but the mental side is often ignored,” he said.

Click here to read Kenny Dalglish's thoughts on Sunday's match.

“Basically, Steve maximises your performance mentally.”

Henderson has ­leapfrogged United duo Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley in the race for a seat on the England plane to Brazil this summer – and can underline this tomorrow when Liverpool line up at Old ­Trafford. After spending all 22 years of the Premier League in United’s shadow, Henderson feels the balance of power is shifting back down the East Lancs Road towards Anfield.

And having walloped Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton this term, ­Henderson insists the Reds are confident of improving on their miserable Old Trafford record of 10 defeats from their last 11 visits.

“Where we are in the table and where they are is a little bit of a change from the last few years,” said Henderson, who watched his boyhood heroes Sunderland with his friends and family in the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley.

“We feel we can beat anyone, anywhere, so we will go there with a lot of confidence.

“Yeah, it’s a big game, but it’s just another big game. We’ve got 10 of them left this season and Man United is just one of them.

“That’s the way we’ve got to approach it. We don’t need to complicate it and think about things too much.

“I think we can really go there and show how good we are.”

PlayStation’s new partnership with the English Schools FA has increased secondary school tournaments for boys and girls. This grassroots programme helps nurture future talent, while giving children opportunities to play.

Visit www.playstationschoolscup.com