Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has predicted that Jordan Henderson will have an "outstanding year" after being named as club captain.
The 25-year-old was handed the armband earlier this month following the departure of long-serving skipper Steven Gerrard.
Rodgers, who has already heaped praise on Henderson during the Reds' tour Down Under, expects the Englishman to continue improving in the role.
"Jordan was one I thought about and once I saw him grow and develop as vice-captain, I felt sure he could be a captain," Sky Sport News quotes the Liverpool manager as saying.
"I told him to do it his way and have his own ideas and I think he'll have an outstanding year and really blossom with the captaincy."
Rodgers' charges ramped up their preparations for the new campaign by beating Adelaide United 2-0 in their latest pre-season outing earlier today.