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Jordan Henderson has been named as Liverpool’s vice-captain, with boss Brendan Rodgers describing the 24-year-old as the “moral conscience” of the team.

Henderson, who succeeds Daniel Agger, got the nod ahead of the likes of Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson and Dejan Lovren, underlining just what an important figure he now is at Anfield.

But the road to being named as Steven Gerrard’s deputy was often a rocky one for the tireless midfielder. Henderson was labelled a Kop flop after taking time to settle at Anfield, and even had to shrug off criticism over his running style before going on to become an automatic pick for both club and country.

Here is a timeline of his LFC career.

June 2011: Henderson signs for the Reds from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £16m. He left with the best wishes of the Black Cats, with club chairman Niall Quinn saying: “Jordan is a credit to himself, his family and Sunderland’s Academy.”

August 2011: Henderson scores his first goal for the Reds - a curling left-footed strike at the Anfield Road end - in a 3-1 win over Bolton Wanderers. But the midfielder is often deployed in an unfamiliar position out wide on the right, and struggles to make an impact in his early months at Anfield.

February 2012: Although he is still struggling to win over his doubters, Henderson lands his first piece of silverware with the Reds, playing the first 58 minutes of the League Cup final victory over Cardiff City.

May 2012: Plays the full 90 minutes of Liverpool’s FA Cup final loss to Chelsea, before scoring only his second goal of the season three days later in a 4-1 Premier League win over the London side at Anfield.

June 2012: Called into England’s Euro 2012 squad following an injury to Frank Lampard, Henderson makes two substitute appearances at the tournament as the Three Lions reach the quarter-finals, losing on penalties to Italy.

August 2012: With Brendan Rodgers replacing Kenny Dalglish, the new boss looks to offload Henderson to Fulham in a deal which would see Clint Dempsey head in the opoosite direction. But the transfer collapses, and Henderson later admits: “When the manager told me I could go to Fulham it was a bit of a shock at first. What he said came as a sort of bolt from the blue. I worked really had to come to a club like Liverpool and I didn’t want to leave in a hurry.”

August-May 2012-13: The midfielder was used only sparingly by Rodgers during the 2012-13 campaign, starting just 16 Premier League games. He is often a target for supporters who feel his game is too passive, lacking in authority. “They’re probably right, aren’t they?” admits a downbeat Henderson to the ECHO’s Neil Jones.

October 2013: Sir Alex Ferguson launches a scathing attack on Liverpool in his autobiography and Henderson does not escape criticism from the retired Manchester United boss. Ferguson says worries about the midfielder’s gait - “he runs from his knees… while the modern footballer runs from his hips” - made him decide against signing him.

November 2013: After starting every Premier League game of the season in the early months of the campaign - in his preferred central midfield role - a rejuvenated Henderson wins a recall to the England squad following an 18-month absence. He says: “It’s a massive boost to be picked. I'm delighted to go there, but I need to make sure I work hard and do what I’ve been doing with Liverpool.”

December 2013: Henderson’s star continues to rise and he delivers an outstanding performance in a 5-0 win at Spurs, ensuring an injured Steven Gerrard is not missed. Rodgers later hails his predecessor Dalglish for bringing Henderson to Anfield, saying: “It was a great buy by Kenny.”

April 2014: With the Reds closing in on the title, Henderson is red carded for an uncharacteristically ugly challenge on Samir Nasri during the closing stages of an Anfield win over rivals Manchester City. With the suspended Henderson missing from their engine room for three games, the Reds pick up four points from a possible nine - and City pip them to the title.

June 2014: Henderson makes two appearances for England during their ill-fated World Cup campaign in Brazil.

September 2014: Following the sale of Daniel Agger to Brondby, the Reds need a new vice-captain - and Rodgers hands the role to Henderson.