Former football player Chris Sutton has expressed his opinion regarding Jordan Henderson’s decision to move to Saudi Arabia, suggesting that the midfielder’s primary motivation was financial gain. Sutton believes that while Henderson may have joined Al-Ettifaq for a lucrative deal, he will likely regret not being a part of Liverpool’s title challenge this season.
Upon departing from Anfield, Henderson also relinquished the captain’s armband and left Liverpool to pursue an opportunity in the Middle East. However, the club has not seemed to feel the absence of his presence, as Jurgen Klopp revamped the midfield with new recruits such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Alexis Mac Allister, contributing to Liverpool’s strong position in the title race.
In an interview with It’s All Kicking Off, Sutton expressed his belief that Henderson would be longing to be part of the Premier League action and stated, “Bottom line Jordan Henderson. He’ll be looking at Liverpool in their title challenge and be wishing he was still at Anfield. Absolutely no doubt about that. Let’s see, you know, let’s not have all the I’m buying into the culture and I’m going to give Al-Ettifaq a chance and we’re going to try and build a club.” Sutton’s statement implies that Henderson’s move was largely driven by financial incentives rather than genuine aspirations to build a new football club culture.
Despite Henderson’s commitment and loyalty to Al-Ettifaq, the team currently find themselves in mid-table in the Saudi league, trailing the league leaders by a significant 26 points. Reports have also highlighted a lack of fan attendance at some matches, with top-flight games reportedly being played in front of less than a thousand fans at times.
Henderson’s departure from Liverpool was reportedly influenced by discussions with Jurgen Klopp, during which the German coach indicated that Henderson’s playing time was likely to diminish due to the arrival of new players in his position. In an interview with the Athletic, Henderson revealed, “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. 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.”
In conclusion, Henderson’s departure from Liverpool to pursue a new challenge in Saudi Arabia may have been financially motivated, despite his claims of responding to a changing dynamic at Anfield. As Liverpool continues their title push, Henderson may have mixed feelings about his decision as he watches from afar.