It is fair to say that Jordan Henderson hasn’t made the best choices towards the end of his playing career. Having become the first Liverpool captain to win the title in the Premier League era, the Sunderland-born midfielder disappointed many when he chose to leave the club in order to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
Having purported to support the rights of LGBTQ+ people, moving to a country in which their very existence is denied felt like a slap in the face. Having arrived at Ajax in 2024, it now looks as though he might be on the move again as he seeks a departure from the club.
An Industrious Player
Jordan Brian Henderson was born in Sunderland in the north-east of England on the 17th of June 1990. He entered the Sunderland youth system as an eight-year-old, making his way up through the ranks there before signing a professional contract on the first of July 2008. His debut came as a half-time substitute in a 5-0 away loss to Chelsea, before briefly joining Coventry City on loan for the second half of the 2008-2009 campaign.
After breaking into the Sunderland first-team upon his return, Henderson’s running and industrious nature caught the eye of Liverpool, for whom he signed in 2011.
@flashy.ballers A true captain is vocal during games like Jordan Henderson ⚽️🧑✈️#football #communication #soccer #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Ballers ⚽️
Although the supporters of the club took a long time to warm up to him, Henderson was made club captain in the wake of Steven Gerrard’s departure from the club in 2015. He grew into the role, becoming a vocal member of the team and stepped up to the plate in order to represent those marginalised members of society.
He helped the Merseyside club win both the Champions League and the Premier League, alongside other trophies, but in 2023 he undid all of the good work he’d done with groups such as Kop Outs, Liverpool supporters LGBTQ+ representatives, by heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Failure with Ajax
It is hardly outrageous to say that things didn’t work out as Henderson wanted them to in the Saudi Pro League. Having signed for Al-Ettifaq for a fee of around £12 million, he made 19 appearances for the club during the 2023-2024 season, coming sixth and being knocked out of the King Cup in the round of 16.
Having been part of a spending spree of close to £1 billion by Saudi clubs that saw around 100 players head to the Kingdom, Henderson became the first to leave after his club agreed to terminate his contract when it became clear that he had struggled to settle in the country.
PSV Eindhoven won the Dutch title on a tense final day in the Eredivisie — after previous league leaders Ajax collapsed in the run-in, blowing a nine-point lead.
It was the conclusion to a remarkable few weeks, which ended with Peter Bosz’s side clinching back-to-back titles.
— The Athletic | Football (@theathleticfc.bsky.social) 18 May 2025 at 16:40
The decision to move to Ajax was an easy one for him to make, coming to an agreement with Al-Ettifaq that ensured the club would not lose out financially. He signed a contract for two and a half years, performing well enough with the Eredivisie side to earn a recall to the England side under Thomas Tuchel in the March of 2025.
In spite of his leadership, Henderson could do nothing to stop Francesco Farioli’s side from imploding towards the end of the 2024-2025 season, throwing away a nine-point lead and missing out on the title to PSV Eindhoven on the final day of the campaign.
Leaving for a Return Home?
After spending nearly two years in Amsterdam, it now looks almost certain that Jordan Henderson will be leaving the Johan Cruyff Arena this summer. There were reports that he was trying to force through a move to AS Monaco during the January transfer window, which the former Liverpool captain reacted to with anger.
Even so, it has left a sour taste in the mouths of both the club and the supporters, so it seems as though the writing is on the wall when it comes to discussions about the 34-year-old’s future with the club. The main question is around where he will end up heading to.
One of the clubs reportedly linked with a move for Henderson is that of Rangers in Scotland, who have undergone a takeover by 49ers Enterprises in recent times. The new owners are rumoured to be happy to bankroll some changes on the pitch in order to challenge Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title, with Henderson’s name on the list.
There is also a suggestion that he could return to his hometown, however, with Sunderland having won the Championship Play-Off final in order to gain promotion to the Premier League. There are some that believe that that would be the better move for him.