Jordan Henderson hopes Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final clash with AS Roma can represent the beginning of ‘something special’ for the Reds’ squad.

Roma visit Anfield on Tuesday evening for the first leg of a last-four tie that will determine who advances to next month’s final in Kiev.

Liverpool captain Henderson addressed the media on Monday and discussed a wide range of topics, including the importance of the semi-final both personally and collectively, the newly-crowned PFA Players’ Player of the Year Mohamed Salah and his Roma counterpart Daniele De Rossi.

Read on for a transcript of the No.14’s press conference...

On who got his vote for PFA award and Salah winning the trophy…

I voted for De Bruyne, obviously. I couldn’t vote for Mo. I’m obviously delighted for Mo, I think he deserves it thoroughly. He’s been fantastic throughout the season, his records and stats speak for themselves really, and his performances as well. He’s been a massive player for us this season and hopefully he can continue that form over the next few weeks.

On whether Salah can build a legacy at Liverpool and become a legend of the club…

Definitely. He’s a fantastic player, obviously he’s up there with the world’s best and there’ll be other clubs that want to maybe take him away but I feel as though he’s in a great place [with] a great set of lads, a great team [and] a great manager, going in the right direction. We want to create our own history [and] win things here. I think that would be very special and I’m sure Mo will want to be a part of that. He’s a big part of it now and I’m sure he will be for many years to come.

On how significant the semi-final is, both individually and for the team…

[It’s a] Huge moment, yes, a huge game, a huge two games. But hopefully this is the start of something special for this squad. I feel as though the manager’s been brilliant since he came to the club. We’ve improved every season and we’ve done so well this season to get to this stage. We’ve just got to keep going, keep working hard, keep improving and like I say, hopefully this is the start of many huge games to come in the next few years at Liverpool and it would be nice to look back at this one with fond memories of not only the atmosphere, but the result as well.

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On how Liverpool have dealt with losing Philippe Coutinho and whether there is now more ‘collective effort’ in the team…

I felt as though there was a collective effort when Phil was here. He was another big player for us but I feel as though we’ve coped well since he’s left. The front three have been outstanding, all have chipped in, all have created chances, scoring goals and it’s working really well so far, so we’ve got to continue to play like we always have this season. [We’ve] kept going, kept improving no matter who we’ve played. It’s a big test for us, a big challenge against a really good side in Roma, but one that I feel we’re ready for. We’ve got to put on the same performance or a similar performance, if not better, than the last round against City in both legs. If we do that then hopefully we can get through to the final.

On how this tie will differ to the last round against Manchester City…

It’ll be a different game obviously because it’s a different team, different players, different manager and probably a different way of playing. They’ll maybe ask different questions than City did, but we’ve played a lot of good sides this season in Europe who have asked a lot of questions of us and we’ve answered them well so far. We’ve got a little bit more preparation to do later today and then first thing in the morning as well, and look to implement that in the game tomorrow night. They’re a strong side so they’re going to ask questions, but we just need to be ready and keep doing what we’ve been doing well - playing at that high intensity, creating chances and scoring goals.

On his respect for Roma captain De Rossi…

Fantastic player and fantastic leader for many years for Roma. He is a huge player and has been around for a long time. He’s a very experienced player, so he’ll be used to this sort of game, the size of the game, and he’ll be looking forward to it I’m sure. But I feel as though we’ve got experience in the team as well; maybe not as much as him, but I feel as though we’re ready to go and challenge. They’ve got other experienced players in the team, they’ve got a good balance of players. It’s a good challenge for us and one we’re looking forward to taking on.

On why European nights bring out the best in Liverpool…

At Anfield, the atmosphere is unbelievable, which gives us a great lift as a team. That’s really helped us on big occasions like this so far, so hopefully tomorrow night it will be no different. I’m sure the crowd will be unbelievable, but the performance needs to match it and we need to get a good result. I am sure the atmosphere in Rome will be brilliant as well and it’s a tough place to go, so we need to give everything tomorrow night and I am sure the fans will be electric again.

On the impact of Jürgen Klopp on the Reds’ squad…

He is one of the best managers in the world. First and foremost, football and tactically, it goes without question how knowledgeable he is within the game. You can see that in the performances, style of play and how we play football. But the other side, off the field, he’s a fantastic human, very genuine and has great passion for football. I think that transcends throughout the team; you can see that in the we are playing and the way are team play. He is a fantastic manager, he always keeps you on your toes, he always looks for more, keeps pushing you to improve, never wants the standards to drop and always wants you to maintain those high standards no matter who we’re playing. He is an amazing manager and everybody in the squad feels privileged to be working with him. I feel I have improved a lot since he came to this football club - and hopefully I can improve a lot more over the next few years.

On the magnitude of the semi-final…

Playing in the semi-final of the Champions League at Anfield is a huge occasion, not only for me but for many of the players. It’s what you dream about, playing against the best teams in Europe and Roma are certainly that. It’ll be a fantastic night, a huge night, but you’ve got to keep your focus on what’s important. The important thing is you’ve got to do your job to the best of your ability, keep doing the right things and give everything in the game. When you look back at the game, you want to remember it for the right reasons – I know the atmosphere will be amazing, but you want to look back having put on a fantastic performance for the team and also having got the result as well.