JORDAN Henderson returns to Wearside today with Liverpool. If he is not wearing the captain’s armband, there is every chance he will when he next visits the Stadium of Light.

Confirmation of Steven Gerrard’s decision to quit Anfield at the end of the season and head for Los Angeles Galaxy is largely down to the fact he was told by Brendan Rodgers that he would no longer be guaranteed a first team place.

The thought of a Liverpool without Gerrard will seem strange for many Liverpool fans, but Rodgers is already clear about who his long term successor will and should be. Henderson, having been named vice captain in September, has skippered the Reds occasionally this season.

If Gerrard, albeit unlikely after his match-winning performance against Wimbledon in the FA Cup on Monday, is left out against the Black Cats then Henderson will enjoy a return to the Stadium of Light as captain.

Whether it is this afternoon or on his next visit after Gerrard’s departure, it would be a proud moment for Henderson and anyone else who has watched him grow up and develop in to an England midfielder since his nurturing at Sunderland from the age of seven.

He hails from East Herrington and the son of a fitness teacher mum, Liz, so the high standards he has set in terms of stamina and workrate perhaps should not be too much of a surprise. His father, Brian, played football for Durham police, so there was a sporting background helping him along.

As well as football, Henderson also performed well at badminton and table tennis, although there were fears he might not make the grade as a footballer because he suffered from a medical condition, Osgood-Schlatters.

“I think Sunderland were a bit unsure of what to do with me, whether to keep me or let me go. That was a really nervous time for me,” admitted Henderson.

Seven years on and Henderson has proven it was the right decision to keep him; not least because of the £20m raised by his sale to Liverpool in 2011. Initially he struggled to adapt, and came close to being sold by Rodgers. The likeable midfielder turned down a move to Fulham – after he was included in a part-exchange deal for Clint Dempsey – two years later.

Henderson dug his feet in and insisted he wasn’t going anywhere. It was a decision which has since clearly been vindicated – so much so that his return to Sunderland will be as one of Liverpool’s driving forces from the middle. Being able to bounce back from set-backs has become his forte since his childhood.

DAVE ROBINSON was his PE teacher at Farringdon Community College, Sunderland, as well as his football coach during his school time. He has stayed in touch and never had any doubts about his ability to become a professional on the big stage.

Robinson said: “I’m just so proud of what he has gone on to achieve and that he is being mentioned as the next Liverpool captain. It’s fantastic for him, for his family and everyone at Farringdon.

“He deserves great credit for the enormous work he has put in to get where he has already. He has always been like that. He was always the type of lad that would just play anywhere and work hard.

“He always stood out in the team, but was happy to play anywhere to help his team-mates and friends. He just loved playing football and had this desire to constantly improve – and that has stayed with him.

“I had him in my Year 9, 10 and 11 team. I could never fault his attitude. He just always wanted to learn. He always had something extra. He was a super lad when he was at Farringdon and still is.

“He has been back to hand over signed shirts to us. We have his Liverpool one in reception alongside a photo of him and Scott Borthwick, the Durham and England cricketer. They played together in that school team, grew up together.

“That team won the league and cup double at Under-16s. It was a lovely group to be the coach of and Jordan was such a key part of that. He might not have been the captain, because we used to give others the opportunity to grow in to the role too, but he was always leading with his attitude.”

AFTER leaving school, Henderson started full-time at Sunderland. Kevin Ball, the club’s respected former skipper, helped him progress through the ranks at the Academy of Light as coach with the Under-16s, 18s and then the 21s.

While the youngster might not have developed quite as quickly as team-mates like Jack Colback or Martyn Waghorn initially, Ball always knew Henderson would hit the top.

Ball said: “Jordan fully deserves it. I could see from a younger age that Jordan has the desire to be a special footballer. He has a special trait that sees him strengthen when things actually go against him. He has great resolve.

“When people express a negative opinion towards him, it’s like water off a duck’s back. It always was. It’s a great trait to have because he has always somehow been able to use negative things to energise him. His natural desire has got him to where he is now.

“He played right-wing, left-wing, centre-midfield, number ten ... he was just one of those players who would play anywhere he was asked to. You can see that even now when he is playing. He plays in a variety of positions and that helped him to become a natural leader.

“The other thing about Jordan is that his main focus has always been his football. His family were very supportive, which helped him. The whole group of players he played alongside during those younger days were such a good group in fairness.

“Little instances stand out. I remember one day doing set plays with them and Jordan asked if we could try ‘this one’ rather than one I was going to put on. I liked that, not all of the time, but I liked that. It gave the players some encouragement to try different things.

“There was also another time at the end of the season and all the Under-18s squad had a get-together at Martyn Waghorn’s house. They invited me along but I stayed away, thought I’d let them have some freedom.

“When I spoke to one of the parents a little later on that day to hear what they were all up to, they were actually all out playing football having a kickaround – at an end of season get together. Jordan was in amongst it. That was what they were all like. Jordan was and is dedicated.”

HIS development with the Under-21s led to Roy Keane thrusting him on to the first team stage for a Premier League debut at Stamford Bridge on November 1, 2008. By the time he came off the bench as a half-time substitute, Sunderland were 3-0 down and heading for a five-goal hammering.

Eleven days later he started his first game: a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn in the Capital One Cup. And, after spending the rest of that season on loan at Coventry, he returned after Keane was replaced by Steve Bruce, who made him a key player in his team for the next two years.

He was often likened to Frank Lampard, he earned an England call from Fabio Capello against France and then Kenny Dalglish took him to Anfield. He failed to justify his price-tag initially but, after rejecting the switch to Fulham, he won over one of his biggest doubters, Rodgers.

THE LIVERPOOL boss has since decided to hand the 24-year-old the captaincy whenever Gerrard has not played.

Rodgers said: “It was one of the reasons I made him vice-captain. He has got no greater captain to learn from. That was the idea of putting him in that role when I did and seeing Jordan being here for a number of years.

“I think he saw Steven as a great example anyway before he was vice-captain, but certainly in that vice-captain’s role it would give him pole position in terms of learning from a great in how he behaves, how he works, on and off the field.

“When that day comes for Steven to move on, you have someone there who is a different sort of player, of course, but someone who can then offer that wisdom and knowledge throughout his years here. That is something I know he is very keen on and he has been learning from Steven.”

HENDERSON has struck up a strong bond with Gerrard, learning from a player he regards as one of English football’s greatest midfielders.

The former England skipper thinks Henderson has all the attributes to hold the role and be a success for the long term – having witnessed the way the young man from Tyne & Wear has turned things around since those earlier days at Anfield.

“He’s a fantastic player for me to hand the armband over to,” said Gerrard. “I’ve got great respect for Jordan Henderson and I know everyone else at the club feels the same. He was a Sunderland boy and moving to Liverpool was his first time out of the area. It was a big move at a young age.

“Jordan stayed and toughed it out. It’s in difficult situations like that you learn a lot about the type of player and the type of character someone is. He knuckled down and worked even harder.

“He’s a true professional and a very strong character. Every day he’s in the gym doing extra work. He doesn’t drink and he looks after himself. He has made a lot of sacrifices to play well for this club.”