John van 't Schip is very satisfied with Ajax's Jordan Henderson's first match. The experienced midfielder played the full match against PSV (1-1) on Saturday and immediately took on his intended role as leader. “He helps and coaches the boys,” Van 't Schip says to the camera afterwards ESPN.

Valentijn Driessen was scathing about Henderson immediately after the match. “Jordan Henderson firmly suppresses the Henderson hype,” Driessen said in his column The Telegraph. “Invisible, perfunctory, with balls wide over a maximum of five meters and trudging behind PSV players, Henderson had no input whatsoever.”

Van 't Schip sees Henderson's debut completely differently. The Ajax coach is very satisfied with the Englishman. “He is used to playing these kinds of matches at the highest level. And I think that this is the highest level in the Netherlands, the top players. He has shown that he is fit and important for the team.”

While many players suffered from cramps in the final phase, Henderson played the top match with apparent ease. “He helps and coaches the boys, before the game, at halftime and on the field.”

“He also tries to keep calm when he can. Sometimes you have to keep possession of the ball a little longer, he also told Sosa at one point. These are small things, but you hope that the team will pick up on that more and more.”

According to Driessen, Henderson was 'invisible', but Van 't Schip does not see that as a problem. “It is also not his role that he dribbles past four men and shoots at goal. He has to set up others and he is a reliable player on the ball.”

“It was also his first match in a while.” Henderson last played for Al-Ettifaq on December 28 and did not play a match for more than a month. “If you take all that into account, he played a good game.”

Ajax certainly made a strong impression on Van 't Schip. “If you see where we come from… I can certainly live with this. Because you also have to be honest: it is a good team we are playing against.”

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