18 January 2024 , 19:42
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Jordan Henderson has completed a move to Ajax, bringing the curtain down on an embarrassing six-month spell in Saudi Arabia.
The England midfielder, 33, has joined the Eredivisie side on an initial 18-month deal as he completes a swift return to European football, having left Liverpool last summer following 492 appearances over 12 years for the Reds, with whom he picked up the Champions League and Premier League as captain.
He and his family have been unhappy since last summer's controversial decision to switch to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, where he played under former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard.
Under his captaincy, Al-Ettifaq have not won a game since October, with Henderson now deciding to terminate his contract with more than three years left to run. As Mirror Football reported on Wednesday, Henderson will become Ajax's highest-earner after signing a deal with the Eredivisie giants.
Final discussions over a move were held in Manchester, with Henderson successfully undergoing a medical on Thursday. Ajax are hopeful that Henderson will be able to feature in their clash with RKC Waalwijk at the Johan Cruyff Arena this weekend.
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Ajax boss John van 't Schip said: "We wanted an experienced midfielder with leadership qualities. Partly due to injuries, we were also looking for someone who can be there immediately. Jordan Henderson is such a player.
"His arrival means a major boost in quality for our selection. Both on and off the field, a footballer of his calibre is also important for the many young players. He is an English international and has won the Champions League and many other trophies with Liverpool. I am happy with his arrival and I think it is very good for our club that he is an Ajax player from today."
Henderson will join an Ajax side who had been enduring a miserable season themselves. They found themselves bottom of the Eredivisie in October, though have recovered to move up to fifth place.
Henderson ripped up his contract with Al-Ettifaq earlier this week (Getty Images)But they are still 23 points adrift of leaders PSV, though club chiefs believe that Henderson can help to push the side up into the Champions League qualification places. It is quite a climbdown for the midfielder, who in only September insisted he felt the move to Saudi was the right one to make.
"I wanted something that would excite me. And that’s not to say those clubs wouldn’t excite me because they are great clubs and they come with really different challenges. But it needed to be something that I felt as though I could add value in and do and try something new — a new challenge and for different reasons," he told The Athletic.
After the move Henderson was accused of betraying the LGBT+ community he had previously supported by moving to a country where same-sex relationships and illegal and punishable by the death penalty.
During his time as Liverpool captain, the midfielder had been a vocal supporter of the community, though many felt he had turned his back on them by moving out to Saudi. While Henderson was adamant his presence could help to bring about cultural change, same-sex relationships remain illegal and the death penalty is still in force.
Henderson had also insisted that the chance to play in the Saudi Pro League offered him an exciting challenge. That belief proved to be misplaced though, with the England star forced to play in front of crowds often numbering just hundreds of people, with teams in the National League attracting more fans.