Programme notesJordan Henderson: We know how much this means - it's as big as it gets
The captain’s first-hand experience of the rivalry spans more than a decade and he is expecting another tough contest in the latest instalment at Anfield on Sunday.
“Some games jump off the fixture list no matter who your team is and Liverpool versus Manchester United has always been one of them,” Henderson writes in his notes for the official matchday programme.
“No-one involved, whether player, staff or supporter, needs any advice about how much this one means. It is as big as it gets.
“Whereas some rivalries are dependent on form or placings in the league table, this one never has been. It doesn’t matter how we are playing, how United are performing or what is at stake in terms of the bigger picture, this is a fixture that always has enormous significance.
“I have been fortunate to have more than a decade of experience of it and I can say without hesitation that it is never anything other than a huge test. Like us, United are a massive club with huge expectations and as players we have to carry that responsibility onto the pitch in the knowledge of what is expected of us.
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“It’s fair to say that United will arrive at Anfield [on Sunday] having a better season than we are. They have just won a trophy and they are higher up the Premier League table than us so their confidence will be high. When kick-off arrives, though, anything that’s gone before will be irrelevant.
“As I’ve said previously when we were riding high, it is all about what happens on the day in these fixtures and if you don’t respect the opposition and the quality they will bring, your form will count for absolutely nothing. There is a job to be done and it is up to us to do it.”
Henderson adds: “We had a bad result at Old Trafford earlier this season and one of the main reasons was that we fell short of the standards that we have set ourselves, so it stands to reason that we cannot afford for that to happen again.
“This is an occasion to relish but it is also one that you have to make the absolute most of. Anything else and the likelihood is that you will fall short. That goes for United and ourselves because there is no underdog. You have to earn the right to play from the very first kick and the team that does this will give themselves the best chance of winning the game.
“I have nothing but respect for everything that United are doing this season and there is no doubt that they will provide top-quality opposition, but at the same time I know what we are capable of and if we can continue our recent form we will give ourselves the best possible chance of getting a positive result.
“That is what being a Liverpool player is all about, none more so than on occasions like this.”