THERE was plenty to talk about following Sunderland’s visit to Anfield last September.

Yet on a day when Dirk Kuyt’s controversial opening goal and Liverpool’s inability to win what looked to be a routine home fixture grabbed the headlines, a more lasting memory from the game was the display of a young midfielder who, a little over eight months later, is set for a return to Merseyside, this time wearing a red shirt.

Jordan Henderson was instrumental for the Black Cats that day. The 20-year-old had already made a solid start to just his second top-flight campaign, and had been touted as a potential star in the making by manager Steve Bruce, and at Anfield he showed exactly why.

Mature and composed in possession, assured in his touch, and capable of fusing defensive and attacking duties with ease and style, the youngster shone in the centre of midfield. Steven Gerrard may have grabbed the Reds’ second-half equaliser, but he would have few sterner tests all season. Christian Poulsen’s day was bad enough to see him substituted just after the hour mark.

Less than two months later, Henderson would make his senior England bow, in a 2-1 friendly defeat to France at Wembley.

And though the midfielder was a surprise call-up, and though he struggled that night amid the vibrancy of the likes of Samir Nasri, Yoann Gourcuff and Yann M’Vila, the fact that Fabio Capello saw fit to thrust him straight into the heart of a midfield battle against one of Europe’s top nations speaks volumes. Henderson was one of only four outfield players to play the full 90 minutes.

And Reds boss Kenny Dalglish was clearly watching that night; also making his debut for England was Andy Carroll.

Six months on, and Henderson and Carroll are set to be reunited, with Liverpool having agreed a fee – believed to be in excess of £20m – for the Sunderland academy graduate.

It represents a tremendous rise to prominence for a player who made his senior Sunderland debut in November 2008, and little more than two years ago was heading for a loan spell at Championship side Coventry City.

There, under the tutelage of Chris Coleman, he earned rave reviews, but made just 13 appearances before a fractured metatarsal cut short his stay at the Ricoh Arena.

Sunderland, however, had seen enough. Henderson was promoted to the Wearsiders’ first team for the 2009-10 season, scoring his first Black Cats goal in a League Cup tie with Birmingham in September 2009. He would make his England U19 debut soon after, and would quickly make the ascent to U20 and U21 duty.

A first Premier League goal arrived, against free-spending Manchester City, in December of that year, as he went on to make 38 appearances, picking up the club’s Young Player of the Year award. His form was good enough to earn him a new, five-year contract, signed in April 2010.

Most of the Premier League’s big boys were linked with a move last summer, with both Manchester City and Manchester United making enquiries, but Bruce - eager to build his side around a midfield base of Henderson and Lee Cattermole - resisted.

He got his reward. Henderson began the 2010/11 season in sparkling form, prompting Bruce to label him “the best English footballer there is”.

FIFA even listed the midfielder as one of their 13 “Ones to Watch” in January of this year, with Henderson’s name appearing alongside the likes of Manchester United-bound David De Gea and Chelsea target Romelu Lukaku. He is set to be an integral member of Stuart Pearce’s England side at the European Under-21 Championships in Denmark later this month.

Before that, however, he will finalise his big money move to Anfield.

And if his recent development is anything to go by, Liverpool fans can be forgiven for getting pretty excited about their latest capture.