Sunderland academy manager Ged McNamee has revealed that the Black Cats came close to releasing Jordan Henderson when he was 16 years old.

The 25-year-old progressed through the Black Cats youth ranks and signed for Liverpool for a reported fee of £20 million in 2011.

Henderson has now gone on to be named club captain at Anfield but it could have been a very different story if not for the player's unbridled mental strength.

"Jordan was good at under-9 and under-10 level," McNamee said.

"He always had good potential and then when he was 15-16 it was a hard time for him because he was having a lot of growth and he didn't have as greater effect on the games due to that, but he always had a good attitude.

"His attitude was always very good and he always wanted to improve and get better but there was a lot of discussion about him when he was 16 and whether or not he going to get a scholarship."

"He just had a great drive and a mental toughness that has been evident while he has progress and where he is now at Liverpool," McNamee added.

"He had a really tough time and he was getting a tough deal; people were questioning whether he was good enough to play for Liverpool but his mental strength got him through that and now he is a top player for England and Liverpool captain.

"A lot of that has come from the drive and determination that Jordan had and we use him as a massive role model, not so much as being the best player in the academy, but just what you can achieve with a bit of hard work."