Henderson has always said money was not a deciding factor in his move to Gulf, saying in an infamous interview with The Athletic last September that he wanted to make a “change”. “When we decided not to go, we tried to bury our heads in the sand and see other cultures and countries from afar. But then nothing happens. “Nothing will change,” he said firmly. More than four months after the interview, Henderson appears to have abandoned plans to improve the situation in Saudi Arabia. Or he managed to turn it into a utopia where everyone was accepted in six months.
Probably the first.This interview will go down as one of the craziest moments in one of the most underrated careers in football history. Henderson’s reputation for proving doubters wrong at Liverpool has seen him lift every major trophy in the space of a few years, and his achievements off the pitch are now in decline. But there is one thing Liverpool can learn from their mistakes. In this interview, Henderson spoke about why he left Anfield.”If one of those people (Jurgen Klopp or the Liverpool owner) had said to me, ‘Now we want you to stay’, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Henderson said. “Then I have to think about what is the next step in my career. “I’m not saying they forced me to leave the club or wanted me to leave, but I never felt that the club or anyone else wanted me to stay.”Now, it would be unfair to blame Liverpool for Henderson’s departure.
There was no reason to be uncertain about his future and Klopp has finally vindicated him by establishing the Reds with an improved midfield. But with Saudi Arabia eyeing Liverpool’s biggest asset, perhaps they can learn something from Henderson. Mohamed Salah will no doubt be called up by professional league clubs again soon.
That’s how long it took for the game to grow in Saudi Arabia. Six months after his controversial move to the Middle East, Jordan Henderson is packing his bags and heading back to Europe.The former Liverpool captain will miss Al Etifaq’s training camp this weekend, according to The Athletic. He is close to completing a permanent move to Ajax. Let’s not reveal any secrets. This is an awkward ascent for Henderson. Having gone to great lengths to justify his move to Saudi Arabia and courting controversy after becoming a vocal ally of the LGBTQ community at Anfield, unlike the millions he now rejects, all this talk feels cheap.
