Henderson bids to restore tarnished reputation after Saudi exit

Once hailed as football's social conscience, Jordan Henderson has fled Saudi Arabia to join Dutch club Ajax with his reputation tarnished by a move he may regret for the rest of his career.

Henderson's decision to terminate his deal with Al-Ettifaq on Thursday came just six months and 19 games into his spell with the club he joined on a lucrative three-year contract in July.

In the twilight of his career and coming off a season in which he struggled for form and fitness with Liverpool, Henderson apparently felt the chance for a final payday was worth the potential damage to his image.

The 33-year-old jumped at the chance to accept Al-Ettifaq's offer of weekly wages worth a reported £350,000 ($443,000), leaving Liverpool to allow a £12 million switch that ended his 12-year spell at the Merseyside giants.

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Henderson was one of a host of big names lured to the Saudi Pro League by the riches on offer in the Gulf state, whose Public Investment Fund aim to use football to present the country in a positive light.

Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Henderson's former Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino were among the stars who headlined a remarkable exodus from Europe.

The presence of former Liverpool great Steven Gerrard as Al-Ettifaq manager added to the appeal for Henderson, who heralded his transfer as a chance to "grow the Pro League into one of the best in the world".

But the dream move quickly turned into a nightmare for Henderson, who underestimated the scale of the opprobrium his transfer would trigger.

Saudi Arabia's contentious human rights record and laws that make same-sex relationships illegal led the LGBTQ+ groups to turn on Henderson, who had been a high-profile supporter of their community.

Henderson had also earned plaudits, as well as an MBE in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, for taking a leading role in mobilising footballers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was an architect of the 'Players Together' initiative that encouraged Premier League stars to donate to Britain’s National Health Service.

'A difficult year'

Clearly hurt by the public backlash, Henderson subsequently apologised for any hurt caused, but he was still booed off the pitch at Wembley during an England friendly against Australia in October.

Shaken by the abuse from England fans, Henderson's adaptation to life in Saudi Arabia proved draining on and off the pitch.

Al-Ettifaq struggled in the league and averaged crowds of just 7,854 in a 35,000-capacity stadium, with the intensity and quality of the matches far less demanding than the Premier League.

In November, reports emerged that Henderson and his family were finding it difficult to settle despite living in the more liberal Bahrain as opposed to the city of Dammam, where Al-Ettifaq play.

As Henderson's problems mounted, he also faced the possibility of losing his place in the England squad for Euro 2024.

His desperation to leave Saudi Arabia became so strong that he jetted off to Amsterdam without "earning a penny" from Al-Ettifaq after reportedly deferring salary payments for the last six months for tax reasons.

Agreeing to join Ajax, down on their luck at present, rather than waiting for a move back to the Premier League, underscored the strength of Henderson's desire to end his failed experiment.

Henderson, who captained Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory in 2019 and 2020 respectively, conceded it had been a troubled period in his football life.

"It's been a difficult year or so for the club, both on and off the field, but that's the same for me in the past six months," he told the Ajax website after sealing his move to the former European champions, who are currently languishing in fifth place in the Eredivisie.

As the first high-profile player to quit the Saudi revolution, Henderson will hope his move to Ajax is the start of the road to redemption.