Collins Praises Henderson's Impact as Brentford Signs Sangare
Jordan Henderson may have only spent a short spell at Brentford, but the imprint he left on the dressing room still lingers.
Nathan Collins has seen enough leaders in his career to know the real thing when he meets it, and speaking to Sky Sports he made it clear the former Liverpool captain changed the tone around the club.
“The main thing is him as a person,” Collins said. “It was a short stint, but I think he really enjoyed his time here.”
By the end of the season, Henderson had gone from mid-season arrival to standard-setter. He wasn’t just a big name passing through. He mixed with everyone, threw himself into conversations, and treated every session as if something was on the line.
“He showed his true colours by the end of the season – who he is and what he’s about,” Collins explained. “He got on with everyone, he had a really good attitude and looked forward to talking to people. And his standards on the pitch were a really big thing. He drove them, and he had a high set of standards. He really drove training a lot.”
Losing that kind of presence is never easy. The gap is felt in the dressing room before it’s seen on the pitch.
“It’s tough that he’s gone,” Collins admitted, “but we have a few players who can step into that role and help out. What he’s left from last season, I think that will continue.”
Brentford haven’t waited around to find the next anchor for their midfield. The club moved decisively, smashing their transfer record with a £41m deal for Mamadou Sangare from Lens.
At 23, Sangare arrives with the profile of a player ready to step straight into responsibility. He helped Lens lift the Coupe de France and finished last season with the highest number of possession recoveries in Ligue 1, a statistic that underlines exactly why Brentford pushed so hard to get him.
Collins already likes what he sees.
“He brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of tackles and forward-thinking passes,” the defender said. “He’s just a really good footballer and a smart footballer. He speaks really good English so he’s settled in really nicely and to have him in front of you, it’ll be a big help for all players.”
Henderson’s voice may have gone from the training ground, but his standards remain on the whiteboard. Now Sangare walks into that space, tasked with protecting the back line, driving the press and, in his own way, writing the next chapter in Brentford’s midfield.
