Liverpool FC Forum

Reg » Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:15 pm wrote:He clearly doesn't need the money. I'd be there for 2 years then looking to sign an extension!

Mate I'd have done the same, who cares about the "project", look at it as "work" contract which just happens to be loaded with gold.

I think his primary concern is playing for England in the summer. Still, he’d be fool to pay all that tax and lose out on that money for that as even if he played in the prem again there is no guarantee he would play regularly for England.

He's being linked with Ajax and Juventus.

Jordan Henderson agrees to terminate Saudi contract ahead of Ajax move
Former Liverpool captain leaves Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq after just six months

Sam Wallace,  CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER 17 January 2024 • 8:10am

Jordan Henderson is flying to Europe today to complete a deal to join Ajax, having agreed with the Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq a mutual cancellation of the three-year contract they signed in the summer.

The former Liverpool captain has left the club after just six months in Saudi, as first reported this morning by The Athletic. The meeting to agree a deal with Ajax is likely to take place in Britain. There is currently an agreement in principle between Henderson representatives and the Dutch club. Henderson agreed a deal with Al Ettifaq on Tuesday morning that he could leave, with a mutual cancellation of contracts.

It ends a turbulent time in his career in which he faced criticism, especially from gay rights groups, for joining a club in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Henderson was paid around £350,000-a-week to play for the club, managed by his former team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Henderson came to realise that his time in Saudi was likely to have a serious impact on his selection for England for the European Championship in the summer. Ajax are currently fifth in the Eredivisie and 23 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven after a dismal start to the season.

Henderson, 33, was in Abu Dhabi this week training with his Al Ettifaq team-mates on a season break camp. He will fly directly back to Europe from there. It has been an unusual six months for Henderson, previously very sure-footed in a career that saw him go from Sunderland to Liverpool where he established himself as a Premier League and Champions League-winning captain despite early misgivings about his future at the club.

While it did not take long to realise he had made a mistake in moving to Saudi, Henderson was always concerned about his relationship with Gerrard for whom he was a marquee signing. The two men would appear to have reached some accommodation.

Al Ettifaq are currently eighth in the 18-team Saudi Pro League. They have won only one of the last nine. The league stopped on Dec 28 for a break and does not return until the mid-point of next month.

Henderson joins Ajax at one of the low points in the history of one of the greatest clubs in the history of European football. They are already on their fourth manager of the season, the last three of them having been caretakers following the sacking of Maurice Steijn in October. When they were soundly beaten by Brighton 2-0 in the Europa League in Sussex later that month they had former player Hedwiges Maduro in charge. Currently, club legend Johnny van’t Schip is steering the ship until the end of the season.
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We all make mistakes, hopefully he'll sort himself out now. Always a legend in my eyes.

I think when he is 40-50 years old and his playing days are over and income stream dries up, he’ll regret turning down the potential of all that money. He will probably become a manager or at least a pundit, he will most likely never earn that kind of money again though. It all depends on what his motivation to leave though. If he misses the food or weather or lack of fans then he should have sucked it up for three years, we are talking about 150 million pounds. 150 million pounds is an insane amount of money for a player of his age and calibre.

I think it was shocking that some England fans booed him because he “let down” the gay community, it’s ridiculous what has become of the world. To suggest that by playing in a country where being gay is illegal is somehow his fault because he chooses to make a considerable amount of money for the future of his family playing football is ridiculous. What does homosexuality being illegal in Saudi Arabia have to do with football anyway? I’m sure some will disagree with me but I don’t think Hendo owes the gay community anything but he does owe his future everything. Wearing an armband with rainbow colors on it us a meaningless gesture, means nothing, helps nothing, is nothing, all show. 150 million to help the needy will have much more impact. If he really wanted to make a difference, then he takes that money and uses it to help those that need. I certainly would have respected that.

I think him terminating his contract at a significant financial loss shows him as weak and characterless. Gay community can stick it up its @rse  . I think hearing England fans booing him had a real effect on him, I don’t think those are real fans anyway. He must have known what it would be like in Saudi, I cannot understand what was so terrible that he gave up 50million a year. He now shows no integrity twice, first by letting down the gay community by signing the contract to go to Saudi Arabia, and again by not honoring the contract.

It would be interesting to know how many of the people booing him would have jumped at the chance to go play football in Saudi to make 50m per year. World has gone mad.

Reg » Wed Jan 17, 2024 11:05 am wrote:Jordan Henderson agrees to terminate Saudi contract ahead of Ajax move
Former Liverpool captain leaves Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq after just six months

Sam Wallace,  CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER 17 January 2024 • 8:10am

Jordan Henderson is flying to Europe today to complete a deal to join Ajax, having agreed with the Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq a mutual cancellation of the three-year contract they signed in the summer.

The former Liverpool captain has left the club after just six months in Saudi, as first reported this morning by The Athletic. The meeting to agree a deal with Ajax is likely to take place in Britain. There is currently an agreement in principle between Henderson representatives and the Dutch club. Henderson agreed a deal with Al Ettifaq on Tuesday morning that he could leave, with a mutual cancellation of contracts.

It ends a turbulent time in his career in which he faced criticism, especially from gay rights groups, for joining a club in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Henderson was paid around £350,000-a-week to play for the club, managed by his former team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Henderson came to realise that his time in Saudi was likely to have a serious impact on his selection for England for the European Championship in the summer. Ajax are currently fifth in the Eredivisie and 23 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven after a dismal start to the season.

Henderson, 33, was in Abu Dhabi this week training with his Al Ettifaq team-mates on a season break camp. He will fly directly back to Europe from there. It has been an unusual six months for Henderson, previously very sure-footed in a career that saw him go from Sunderland to Liverpool where he established himself as a Premier League and Champions League-winning captain despite early misgivings about his future at the club.

While it did not take long to realise he had made a mistake in moving to Saudi, Henderson was always concerned about his relationship with Gerrard for whom he was a marquee signing. The two men would appear to have reached some accommodation.

Al Ettifaq are currently eighth in the 18-team Saudi Pro League. They have won only one of the last nine. The league stopped on Dec 28 for a break and does not return until the mid-point of next month.

Henderson joins Ajax at one of the low points in the history of one of the greatest clubs in the history of European football. They are already on their fourth manager of the season, the last three of them having been caretakers following the sacking of Maurice Steijn in October. When they were soundly beaten by Brighton 2-0 in the Europa League in Sussex later that month they had former player Hedwiges Maduro in charge. Currently, club legend Johnny van’t Schip is steering the ship until the end of the season.
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We all make mistakes, hopefully he'll sort himself out now. Always a legend in my eyes.

I read somewhere today that he didn't actually get paid. He chose not to for tax reasons, and that maybe he might not get paid at all for his time out there? Can't find the article now though...

What a mess.

There's no mention in these reports of Henderson performing poorly for his team (which is mid table in a low standard league).

I question if his legs are up to the Dutch league.