Jordan Henderson willing to fight for Liverpool first-team place

Jordan Henderson insists he is not concerned about how his first-team prospects at Liverpool might be affected by Steven Gerrard's return to fitness.

Having started in the Reds' opening six Barclays Premier League fixtures this season following his summer transfer from Sunderland, Henderson only featured as a late substitute in the 2-0 Merseyside derby victory at Everton on October 1.

With club captain Gerrard coming off the bench in the last three matches after a lengthy period sidelined by a groin problem, it seems Henderson's task in holding down a place in the Liverpool midfield is not going to get any easier.

But the 21-year-old told Sky Sports News: "I am not really worried about that, I think it's part and parcel of football.

"Obviously Stevie is a massive player and is going to play in most games, but I just need to concentrate on what I need to do and make sure I work hard every day in training.

"Given the opportunity, I need to take it and make sure I stay in the team."

Henderson admits it was a blow to be dropped for the Everton game, but the England Under-21 international - who is set to captain the Young Lions against Norway this evening - has his sights set on a recall for Liverpool's next match, the lunchtime clash with Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday.

"Obviously the derby is a massive game and everybody wants to play in it, so I was a little bit disappointed not to start, but the team did brilliantly and got a great result and I was fortunate to come on as well," Henderson said.

"There were still a lot of positives to come out of the game and hopefully I can start the next one."

PA