On 9 June 2011, Henderson was transferred to Liverpool for an undisclosed fee thought to be between £16 and £20 million. He made his debut in Liverpool's first match of the 2011–12 Premier League, a 1–1 draw against his former club Sunderland where he was given a mixed reception by Sunderland fans. On 27 August 2011, Henderson scored his first goal for Liverpool in a Premier League fixture at Anfield against Bolton Wanderers. On 26 February 2012, Henderson started on the right of midfield in Liverpool's 2012 League Cup Final victory over Cardiff City before being substituted in the 58th minute. On 5 May, he played the full 90 minutes as Liverpool were beaten 2–1 by Chelsea in the 2012 FA Cup Final. Henderson ended the 2011–12 season with 2 goals from 48 appearances.