England international Henderson joined Liverpool in 2011 from Sunderland, but had also attracted interest from Manchester United.
However, Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that Henderson’s gait was a concern and he opted against a move following talks with then-Sunderland boss Steve Bruce.
Henderson, though, was not troubled by Ferguson’s comments and told the Mail on Sunday: “It was sort of a compliment, to be honest. If you read what was said, he and Steve Bruce were talking and Steve was speaking very highly of me at the time.
“And Sir Alex decided against a move because of my running style. I think I must have been doing something right for him to be watching me so closely!
“I tend not to look too much into it. I just have to focus on myself and make sure that I feel physically right. If it works for me, it works for me. No one had ever said anything before. Like I say, he knows what he’s talking about.”
Henderson could have lasted just 12 months at Anfield, though, after he was offered to Fulham as part of a deal that would have taken Clint Dempsey to Liverpool following Brendan Rodgers’ appointment as manager.
The 23-year-old was given the option to decide his future and is pleased he chose to stay at Liverpool after establishing himself as a key figure this season.
He added: “I still had a good relationship with the manager and he spoke to me to say what I needed to do to improve my game. He couldn’t guarantee that I would start every week. But I think he still wanted me to stay, to improve.
“It was an easy decision for me because I felt I had a lot more to give. I had confidence and belief that I would go away and work on the things that he said and get myself back in the team. He has helped a lot with my game. When I look back to when he first came to now, I can see where I improved.
“At the time, the biggest thing for me was tactical: knowing when and where I needed to be defensive and attacking and when to and press. I was that energetic. I wanted to run about everywhere. So I needed to think about the game more.”
Written by Steve Milne
