Jamie Carragher has saluted the efforts of Jordan Henderson at Liverpool, with a man who faced plenty of criticism early on at Anfield proving himself to the perfect successor to Steven Gerrard as Reds skipper.
An iconic presence in the middle of the park opted to walk away from his boyhood club in 2016, with Gerrard taking the decision to play out his career in MLS with the LA Galaxy.
A serious void was created by his departure, with Henderson asked to fill it by taking both the armband and a central role in the engine room.
Questions were asked of whether he was ready for such responsibility, but any fears in that department have been calmed by a model of consistency.
Henderson has shown himself to be an inspirational presence on and off the pitch, with his efforts across the last 12 months seeing him held up as potential PFA Player of the Year winner.
He has already got his hands on Champions League and Club World Cup crowns, with the Premier League title set to follow at some point over the coming weeks.
Carragher is delighted to see his former team-mate getting the recognition he deserves, with a hard-working 29-year-old having fended off doubters and big-money signings to remain a key cog in Jurgen Klopp’s well-oiled machine.
"When he first came in, it raised eyebrows in some ways, it was 'where is he going to play', we already had Steven Gerrard at the club, we had bought Charlie Adam as well," Carragher told Sky Sports.
"There were a lot of midfield players as well. It was Damien Comolli who brought him in, young England player, loads of energy. He found it tough early on because he was played out of position in right-midfield.
"The thing I love about Jordan Henderson and it's a little similar to my journey because at times I found it tough and people said I wasn't good enough and they have said that to Jordan Henderson. That just shows the character of who he is.
"You can use words like great professional, great character, and these are just words. What does it mean? It means the way he trains every day, people questioned why he was captain. I used to argue with Jordan all the time and I know the character and personality I want at my club and that is him.
"Who else could be captain after Steven Gerrard? I'm delighted and people like Jordan have something special about them, where you never write them off. At different times of his Liverpool career, someone has come in and you thought he might not play.
"[Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, central midfield, Naby Keita, big-money signing, young, lots of qualities but Jordan Henderson still plays. Playing for nine years at a club like Liverpool is testament to his abilities and personality.
"Whether player of the year or footballer of the year gets done this year, I'm not sure. I thought Sadio Mane was Liverpool's best player when the season stopped and I wouldn't change that view.
"In terms of who has been the outstanding footballer of the year, it's about more than what you do on the pitch, I don't think there's a more outstanding character than Jordan Henderson."