Jordan Henderson says there are no guarantees he will succeed Steven Gerrard as Liverpool captain next season.
The 24-year-old was appointed vice-captain by Brendan Rodgers this season, and Liverpool are yet to lose a game in the 12 matches in which he has led the side.
But Henderson believes there are no assurances he will be named club captain when 34-year-old Gerrard leaves the club for LA Galaxy in the summer.
“Next season we’ll see what happens because it might not be me succeeding Stevie, it might be someone else,” he told the official Liverpool FC magazine.
“There are a lot of strong leaders in the dressing room. There are a lot of big characters in the team – down to earth, humble people.
“Mama [Sakho], Emre [Can] and Skrts [Martin Skrtel] have developed a strong collective understanding. You can see their passion, they’re desperate to win, they give everything.
“Studge [Daniel Sturridge] is a big character. Lucas [Leiva] is too. I can only do the current job the best I can.”
Henderson has played alongisde Gerrard for almost four years, having joined the Reds from Sunderland in the summer of 2011.
And the England international says Gerrard has been the ideal teammate to learn from during his time at Anfield.
“Stevie’s the perfect captain really. He’s a leader on and off the field,” Henderson added.
“He’s someone we all look up to. He always puts the team first. He’s very unselfish.
“When I became vice-captain, I tried to learn as much from him as I could.
“The thing I’ve probably learnt most from Stevie is the way he overcomes the disappointments. I think that defines you more than anything.
“I can relate to it. If I look back to my first season here, it wasn’t easy. But it made me stronger.
“I always think of losing the FA Cup [final to Chelsea] rather than winning the League Cup. Setbacks like that inspire you to want more – to progress and to win.”
