Jordan Henderson's Impact on Brentford's Dressing Room

Jordan Henderson has left Brentford, but the mark he made on the dressing room is still being felt.

For Nathan Collins, it wasn’t just about the passes, the pressing or the game management. It was the person.

“The main thing is him as a person,” Collins told Sky Sports, reflecting on Henderson’s brief spell in west London. “It was a short stint, but I think he really enjoyed his time here.”

Henderson arrived with a reputation forged at the very top level. By the end of the season, Collins felt the squad had seen the full picture.

“He showed his true colours by the end of the season – who he is and what he’s about,” the defender said. “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.”

That drive is not easy to replace. Collins didn’t hide that.

“It’s tough that he’s gone,” he admitted, before quickly pointing to the core that remains. “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 reshape the 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 modern midfield enforcer: relentless, aggressive, and efficient with the ball. 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 were willing to invest so heavily.

Collins has already seen enough to understand what Sangare brings to the pitch – and to the players behind him.

“He brings a lot of energy,” Collins said. “He brings a lot of tackles and forward-thinking passes. 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 standards have set the bar. Sangare’s job now is to keep it there – and maybe, for this evolving Brentford side, raise it even higher.