England manager Gareth Southgate watched Jordan Henderson make his Ajax debut in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Eredivisie leaders PSV.Henderson, 33, joined Ajax on January 18 after Al Etifaq agreed a mutual termination. It has been less than six months since he moved to Saudi Arabia for £12m last summer.

The former Liverpool captain made 19 appearances for Al Etti Park but struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East.Despite signing for Ajax two weeks ago, Henderson’s debut was delayed while he waited for a work permit.

However, Henderson was fit for Ajax’s match against PSV and played the full 90 minutes as his side were held to a draw at the Johan Cruyff Arena.Steven Berghuis put Ajax ahead in the 19th minute, while Luke de Jong maintained PSV’s unbeaten record in the Eredivisie this season. As for Ajax, John van Schiff’s side are in 5th place, 8 points behind 2nd place Feyenoord, who are competing for a spot in the Champions League group stage.

It was a special day for me and my family. It was special to introduce this football club for the first time. “It was really special to play in this stadium.””PSV have a great squad and have been unbeaten all season,” Henderson said. “But towards the end of the game we thought we had a good chance to win, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the back of the net. “I think there is still a lot of room for improvement, but it has been a great privilege and honor to play for this club.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it all the way. But we have to move forward.Henderson said he knew Southgate would be there before the game. He added: “I hope you pick a good game and have fun playing it.”