Jordan Henderson felt like it was the end of the world. Jurgen Klopp grabbed the microphone and insisted it was simply the end of the beginning.

The Liverpool boss gathered his heartbroken players and staff together on the dance floor at the team hotel in Basel after the 2016 Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.

“This is just the start for us. We will play in many more finals,” he told them.

Klopp has been true to his word. Two years on, Henderson has led the charge through to another showpiece occasion. The prize at stake in Kiev is the biggest in club football.

Painful memories of the past will serve as added motivation for the Liverpool captain against Real Madrid on Saturday night.

“It hurt so much after the Europa League final that you just wanted to go home and switch off for a few days,” Henderson said.

“It’s the worst feeling ever. That’s why you want to try and make it right because it does stay with you.

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“I remember when we got back to the hotel, the manager had something different to say. He was obviously disappointed but he looked at the bigger picture.

“He was still proud that we got to the final and reminded us of how much we’d improved since he came in. He said we would learn from the experience.

“He had this vision that make me think in the future we’d get to another final. He told us it was just the start of something. How he has taken the team forward since then has been fantastic really.”

The agony for Henderson in Basel was two-fold. Not only did Liverpool fall apart in the second half but he wasn't able to do anything about it.

He had battled back ahead of schedule after damaging knee ligaments in the first leg of the quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund, but was an unused substitute at St Jakob-Park.

“I was frustrated because I couldn’t help the team try to turn things around. I don't like watching,” he said. “I convinced myself I was 100% fit but looking back I wasn't ready.”

Two years earlier Henderson had also been helpless as the Premier League title slipped from Liverpool's grasp during the run-in. A late red card against Manchester City resulted in a three-game ban.

“Again that was difficult because it was a crucial part of the season,” he said. “To miss those games was tough and it didn't end well.”

A foot injury forced Henderson to sit out the final three months of last term but this season he has stayed fit and blossomed - both as a dominant holding midfielder and an influential leader. His tally of 40 appearances represents his best since 2014/15.

This time around Henderson will be in the thick of the action when silverware is on the line.

“I was out for a few weeks with a hammy but apart from that I have felt really good – physically, mentally, everything,” he said.

“I feel like I keep learning and keep improving from the manager and the players around me.

“I feel in really good shape - maybe the best I have felt in long time if not my whole career.”

Not for the first time, Henderson has proved the doubters wrong. The growing appreciation for him was underlined by the concerned hush that descended on Anfield after he went down injured against Stoke last month.

The 27-year-old had turned his ankle after tangling with Xherdan Shaqiri.

“I was totally oblivious to that,” he smiled.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve had a lot of injuries! It was painful but after the doc came on and got it checked, it felt okay to carry on.”

A theme running throughout this thrilling European run has been the close bond between players and supporters.

(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

During the celebrations after the second leg of the semi-final against Roma, Henderson held aloft a banner in tribute to Sean Cox, who was brutally attacked prior to the first leg at Anfield. It was a gesture that meant a great deal to the Irishman's family.

“When you hear about something like that it puts things into perspective,” Henderson said.

“Hearing that Sean was in a coma hurt us as players because at the end of the day he just wants to watch a game of football and support us. It is important for us to support him and his family in a tough time.

“For me, as captain, that is a responsibility you have to take on board. I felt as though in the second leg the players had it in the back of their minds that someone had come to support us and was seriously ill in hospital. We could use that to help us go and perform for him and his family.”

Henderson is under no illusions about the size of the challenge facing Liverpool in Kiev.

Real Madrid have won the past two Champions League finals and boast a wealth of experience. But Klopp's men have made a habit of upsetting the odds this season.

“Real know how to win. They are a team of winners and have world class players all over the pitch,” he said.

“They will have hunger I’m sure to do it again but we've been brilliant in the Champions League. If we're brave and play like we know we can then we can hurt them.

“I’m sure people will say we are the underdogs and we probably are but we will be ready to give everything.

“We’ve played some fantastic teams throughout the competition. We managed to beat Man City and Roma over two legs. We’ve got a lot of belief and we need to use that on Saturday. On our day we can beat anyone.”

After all the near misses, after all the ups and downs, Liverpool's longest serving player is desperate to end the club's six-year trophy drought.

Triumph in Kiev and Henderson will follow in the footsteps of Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Graeme Souness and Steven Gerrard.

(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire)

“I've got to just focus on the game rather than everything else around it like lifting the trophy or looking at the past winners,” he added.

“The important thing is doing your job. We haven’t won anything yet and at the end of the day that is what you will be judged on as a team.

“In 20 or 30 years, you'll look back and say Liverpool won the European Cup in 2018, you won't say they qualified for a semi or a final.

“The biggest thing for us is to go that one step further and win. You are remembered for winning trophies.

"I hope there are a lot more opportunities in the next few years for us as a team because I feel as though we are good enough, we have a world-class manager and we are going in the right direction.

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"But this would be our first one in a while and getting over that first hurdle as a team, winning the Champions League would be a massive step.

"I see how hungry this team are to be successful. The manager has created a special dressing room with special players. It could be a special night."