5 players who do not get the respect they deserve
Football players are idolized across the globe. It would be hard to find a football fan who grew up without looking up to or trying to imitate some of their favourite players. Imitation is the best form of flattery and in this case, it is spot on.
These days, several football players are celebrated for their personas both on the field and off it. However, banter can be a tricky thing. Underdogs are lavishly praised and some of the best players are derided even if they just have a bad day.
With that in mind, let's take a look at 5 players who are treated with much less respect than they actually deserve.
#5 Jordan Henderson
The less flashy players have always found it difficult to win over loyal fans. Jordan Henderson is a perfect example of this. The Liverpool captain is constantly looked at as nothing more than a squad player and that is quite a reductive argument.
Hendo is a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's system. Every team needs mentality monsters. The Englishman is that and more. He is the engine of this Liverpool side and though his qualities might not be as obvious as that of the De Bruynes or Pogbas of the Premier League, he deserves to be mentioned alongside them.
Jurgen Klopp himself heaped praises on Hendo. He said,
“He’s our skipper, he’s a fantastic character. If I had to write a book about Hendo, it would be 500 pages. So I’m very positive. The most difficult job in the last 500 years of football was to replace Steven Gerrard
. In the mind of the people it was like if it’s not Stevie, then it’s not good enough. And he has dealt with that outstandingly well so he can be really proud. Now we have to think of the future and he is a very important part of our team.”
Henderson has been leading from the front whether it be assuming the place of an almost irreplaceable Steven Gerrard or exemplifying fight and drive when the team's running low on confidence.
The arrival of Fabinho has taken a load of Hendo's shoulder and he now operates in a more advanced position, even drifting to the wing at times and contributes greatly with his accurate passing and crossing.
#4 Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria has had an illustrious career. However, he is hardly ever mentioned as one of the greats in any discussions about forwards or attacking midfielders. Perhaps it's his versatility that is his bane.
The Argentine has been one of the world's best attackers for close to a decade now. In his worst season at Manchester United, the only term for which he was in the Premier League, he still racked up 12 assists. That's when he was underperforming.
These days, his name gets drowned out by all the noise around Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr at Paris Saint-Germain. But he has been just as important to Paris Saint-Germain as anybody else. Di Maria stacked up 18 assists and scored 12 goals this season across all competitions.;
He creates chances for fun and has made a habit out of twisting defenders' ankles with his dancing feet. Di Maria has also been one of Argentina's most important players over the last decade and they still believe that if the 32-year-old was available for the 2014 World Cup final, they would have won it.
Di Maria definitely deserves way more respect than he currently gets and should be considered one of the best players of his generation.