Jordan Henderson responds to England fan criticism over Saudi Arabia move - 'I'm sorry I made them feel that way'
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ByEurosport
Updated 05/09/2023 at 11:41 GMT
Jordan Henderson says he had second thoughts "every day" about his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq and is "hurt" by the suggestion that he doesn't care about LGBTQ+ rights. The England midfielder responded to his critics by saying money was "never a motivation" behind the move and insists he hasn't changed as a person. Henderson was speaking in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic.
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Jordan Henderson insists he still cares about LGBTQ+ issues despite facing criticism from England and Liverpool fan groups over his move to Saudi Arabia.
The Liverpool captain departed Anfield after 12 years this summer to join former team-mate Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq.
Henderson is one of several high-profile players to join a Saudi Pro League side in recent months, but came under fire for the perceived hypocrisy of him championing LGBTQ+ rights in recent years before moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.
The England midfielder, who was named in Gareth Southgate's most recent squad to face Ukraine and Scotland, gave a lengthy interview to The Athletic to explain his decision, his motivation for the move and how his exit from Liverpool came about.
Henderson was told that England’s LGBTQ+ fan group have said they will no longer support him and will instead turn their back on him - as they feel he has turned his back on their cause.
“It hurts to hear that. I do care,” Henderson said.
“I’m not one of these people who goes home, forgets about everything and is just like, ‘I’m fine, my family is fine, just crack on.' I do think about things a lot.
“But at the same time, I knew people can look at it like that and they’re entitled to their opinion, they’re entitled to feel like that.
“All I can say is that I apologise, I’m sorry that I’ve made them feel that way. But I haven’t changed as a person.”
He was asked if he ever had second thoughts about the move after seeing the backlash it created.
“Every day,” he said. “It was a difficult time, definitely. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. It was just difficult to make that decision.
“I’d been at a club for so long, a club that I love and have a lot of respect for the fans, the owners, the manager, my team-mates - to leave my team-mates was a big thing. But in the end, I felt as though it was the right thing for them as well.
“But from the outside and people who don’t know me, then it’s a lot more challenging to understand. There can be a lot of criticism, a lot of negativity around me as a person. And that was difficult to take.
“But I just feel as though, because I do care about different causes that I’ve been involved in, and different communities… I do care. And for people to criticise and say that I’d turned my back on them really, really hurt me.”
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Jordan Henderson of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Anfield on October 29, 2022 in Liverpool, England
Image credit: Getty Images
On the LGBTQ+ community, he continued: "I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it.
“All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help. "
Henderson, who won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, was also accused by some of being seduced by the lucrative salaries being offered to players joining Saudi clubs.
But the 33-year-old denied that he has quadrupled his Liverpool earnings – “the numbers just aren’t true” – or that money influenced his decision.
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"We have to go on, and we will" - Klopp looks to the future without Henderson
“People can believe me or not, but in my life and my career, money has never been a motivation. Ever.
“Stevie [Gerrard] never mentioned money,” he continued.
“Everything I spoke to Stevie about was football and the project. And he actually said he didn’t want to get involved in any of the money stuff. It was all about what we could do together to achieve something special and build a club and build the league.”
Henderson’s departure from Liverpool came as something of a surprise after a hugely successful 12-year spell where he captained the club and became a key player for Jurgen Klopp.
But the midfielder revealed that he was left feeling unwanted at Anfield over the summer.
“There were a few things that sent alarm bells ringing. I’ve got a very good relationship with Jurgen. He was very honest with me,” Henderson said.
“I won’t go into detail about the conversation because it’s private, but it put me in a position where I knew that I wasn’t going to be playing as much. I knew there were going to be new players coming in my position.
“And if I’m not playing, as anybody will know, especially the manager, that can be quite difficult for me and especially when I’ve been at a club for so long, I’ve captained the team for so long. Especially when England’s a big thing for me.
“You’ve got the Euros coming up. And then there was an approach from Al Ettifaq to the club to see if it would be possible for me to go there. The reaction from the club again wasn’t to say no.
"At that moment, I felt as though my value or the want for me to stay, with the manager and within the club, maybe it had shifted. I knew that time would come at some point. I didn’t think it would be now. And I had to accept that.
“I’ve got very good relationships with Jurgen, with the owners of the club. That’ll be forever. What we’ve achieved together in the past 12 years has been incredible. But at the same time, it was hard for me to take that.”
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