Vice-captain Jordan Henderson has dominated the headlines recently after a post-match tunnel bust-up with Chelsea's Diego Costa in mid-week, but the Liverpool midfielder has come in for outstanding praise from his manager Brendan Rodgers.
Henderson, who was awarded the vice-captaincy in the summer, is expected to take over the reigns from Steven Gerrard when the current skipper leaves for LA Galaxy in July, and Rodgers gave a perfect example of why the Sunderland-born and bred midfielder already has natural leadership qualities.
"This is a guy who at the end of last season, when we were in for the title and he was suspended for three games after his sending-off against Manchester City, without telling anyone, went to a club official and offered to do all the media commitments so the others could concentrate on their game," explained the Liverpool boss.
The Ulsterman continued: "He didn't want any glory for it. He was thinking of the team, of all his colleagues who were undertaking a really important spell and he wanted to absorb their duties so they could focus on football.
"That's the type of young man he is. In my time here, he's grown from not just a top-class young player who can only get better, as he embraces different systems and tactics, but he's also developed as a leader, in part by watching Steven Gerrard in the role.
“At this moment in time when Steven doesn’t play, Jordan leads the team in great fashion. When you see him in the tunnel he has great presence and good status and you see now the supporters respond to him,”
Rodgers has continually hinted that Henderson will be the captain in the post-Gerrard era, but said with caution on Thursday: "If he becomes the captain next season, he'll carry it out with great honour."
The Northern Irishman is clearly confident in Henderson's abilities as both a player and a leader, insisting he has all the tools to succeed as the captain of a big club.
"I remember being sat talking to him for a length of time and it just meant an awful lot to him [to be made vice-captain]. It's not just about putting on an armband, to him it's so much more than that," said Rodgers.
"It's a representation of an iconic club, who over many years have had many great vice-captains, captains and players.
"Watching Steven closely over his time here, Jordan understands the prestige of the role and understands the leadership qualities that are demanded from it. He'll just get better and grow into it because he is very much a team player."
Rodgers, who offered Henderson the chance to complete a full-time switch to Fulham in the summer of 2013, added: "When I first came in he was searching for his status here at the club. It was a difficult first season for him."
"But the team who brought him in before knew he was a good person and a strong character and that has continued in the two and a half years I’ve been here.
"He’s a first class young player who can only get better because there is so much to learn with different systems and tactics which he’s embracing."