After leaving Al-Ettifaq, a team in the Saudi Pro League, for Ajax, Jordan Henderson allegedly acknowledged that the previous six months had been tough for him.
Henderson, who has been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, signed a three-year deal to play for Al-Ettifaq last summer after leaving Liverpool. His decision to relocate to Saudi Arabia, a country that outlaws same-sex unions, caused a stir in the UK.
In October, during England’s friendly match against Australia at Wembley, he apologized for any harm he may have caused before being booed off the field.
The England midfielder joined Ajax on Thursday, signing a deal for 2.5 years. This comes after Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq struck a settlement with the 33-year-old to let him depart the club.
With any luck, Henderson’s transfer to Ajax will be beneficial for both the club and himself; he captained Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory as captain.
Over the last six months, what has Henderson said regarding his ordeal?
“It has 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 official Ajax website, as reported by the Irish Independent.
Consequently, I’m hoping that we can all pull together, support each other, and strive for the best future we can.
I’m thrilled to be here, to begin a new chapter in my life and my profession, and to be a part of this club. The past few days have been quite eventful, but I couldn’t be more excited.
“I was incredibly thrilled and astonished that this chance was available to me the moment I learned about it. For some reason, I felt compelled to make it happen.