Jordan Henderson’s summer transfer from Liverpool to Al Ettifaq has split Liverpool fans.
At the end of July, the 33-year-old said goodbye to his 12-year Anfield career and turned in his captaincy in exchange for a £12 million transfer to Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Pro League team.
A three-year deal of £700,000 per week is thought to have been signed, and many football players who had previously played in important European competition have found it impossible to turn down such an incredible offer. Henderson’s transition, though, was particularly devastating because of the accompanying hypocrisy.
The Gulf state is known for its shoddy record on human rights, particularly in relation to homosexuality, which is illegal there. Henderson, a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign, and their battle against prejudice, was criticized by fan organizations like Kop Outs after leaving the league.
Since then, he has adjusted to his new surroundings and become the captain of his new team, even going so far as to support the Saudi Pro League on social media.
The former Reds captain opened up about the transfer and his motivations in an interview with the Athletic after arriving in England to join up with Gareth Southgate’s team for their upcoming international matches.
While declining to go into depth about the specifics of an honest chat with Jurgen Klopp, it was implied that playing time would have been a big influence in his place in the Liverpool squad moving forward.
When asked specifically about the financial stakes, Henderson responded that money “has never been a motivation” in his carrer
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The England international apologized while reiterating that he is still the same person and never intended to offend anyone when asked about the humanitarian impact of his relocation. In a subsequent statement, Kop Outs rejected this apology.
Following is a selection of the comments made in response to Henderson’s most recent interview, which gave readers of the ECHO the chance to reflect on losing their ex-captain through the answers given over the past 24 hours.
