Sir Alex Ferguson snubbed a player who went on to sign for Manchester United's rivals Liverpool before winning the Premier League and Champions League
Sir Alex Ferguson once brutally called out Jordan Henderson in public over his running style. The legendary Manchester United manager had been keeping tabs on the promising talent during his time at Sunderland and thought about making a move for him.
But after sending scouts to watch Henderson in action, Ferguson decided against pursuing the midfielder due to his unusual gait, claiming Henderson "runs from his knees".
Ferguson wrote in his autobiography: "We looked at Jordan Henderson a lot and Steve Bruce was unfailingly enthusiastic about him. Against that we noticed that Henderson runs from his knees, with a straight back, while the modern footballer runs from his hips."
He added: "We thought his gait might cause him problems later in his career."
United's oversight proved to be Liverpool's gain as, in 2011, a 20-year-old Henderson moved to Anfield for approximately £20million. He featured in 37 Premier League matches during his debut campaign under Sir Kenny Dalglish and nearly clinched the title in 2013/14 under Brendan Rodgers.
Henderson, currently at Brentford, later reacted to Ferguson's remarks by saying: "What was written in the book never bothered me.
"To be honest, I looked upon it as a compliment that I got a mention. The fact Alex Ferguson was watching me at some stage must have meant I was doing something right.
"I was never aware of any interest from United and I'm happy with how things worked out. I'm enjoying my football and we're progressing well as a team. I never felt as if I had a point to prove really except maybe to myself and to Liverpool Football Club in terms of improving as a player."
But Rodgers was left furious with the Scotsman's comments. He said: "I think if Sir Alex ever bumps into Jordan he might want to apologise for that.
"The comment surprised me, I have to be honest, coming from someone with such status in the game. Maybe it was meant as flippant but to a young player making his way in the game it could be damaging.
"Every player is different, and every player at this club has had his strengths and weaknesses medically assessed. The statement in terms of Jordan was inappropriate."
Henderson responded in the best possible way - with his performances on the pitch. He was named captain of Liverpool in the summer of 2015, ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s arrival a few months later.
He became instrumental in Klopp's Merseyside revolution as the team grew increasingly competitive, reaching the Champions League final in 2017/18 and claiming the trophy twelve months later.
Henderson also played 30 league matches during 2019/20 as Liverpool cruised to their first Premier League title, which they lifted when the season resumed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The England midfielder clocked up a total of 492 appearances for the Reds, scoring 33 goals and providing 58 assists, figures that barely scratch the surface of his monumental influence both on and off the pitch.
In a shock move, he decided to leave Liverpool in 2023 for Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq project in Saudi Arabia, believing his opportunities at Anfield under Klopp would be limited ahead of the new season.
Henderson's two former clubs, Liverpool and Sunderland, are set to face off in the Premier League on Wednesday night at Anfield. His boyhood team Sunderland have kicked off the season exceptionally and currently sit sixth in the table in their first season back in the top flight.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Liverpool are trailing by one point after a dismal run of form, which finally came to an end with a 2-0 victory over West Ham at the weekend.