Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson showed he had lost none of his bite after a month on the sidelines and believes his team-mates responded well to him barking orders again.

The England international made his first start since suffering a hamstring injury on December 22 in Tuesday’s comfortable 3-0 win at Huddersfield.

In his absence manager Jurgen Klopp used different captains in six successive matches but now the 27-year-old is back wearing the armband his team-mates have a familiar voice leading them on the field again.

“I’ve been out for a little while, so it was nice to be back out on the pitch,” he said.

“At times I can shout at one or two people but I think everybody responds well.

“We’re a great set of lads, togetherness is really good. On the pitch, we just need to do what we need to do to win.”

The midweek victory was the perfect response to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League and FA Cup.

However, they face a real test on Sunday as fifth-placed Tottenham, just two points behind in the table, visit Anfield.

“The results and performances over the previous two games are something we have been disappointed with,” he added.

“It was a good game for us to come and show we can put it right. I thought we did that, but we’ve got a long way to keep improving, keep getting better.

“We’ve got a big game on Sunday against Spurs who are a very good side.

“They’ve got fantastic players and a fantastic squad of players so, yeah, we’re really excited to see what we can do over these last few months of the season.

“It will be a big test but one I think we are ready for and we need to make sure that we put in performances like we did at Huddersfield on a regular basis.”