27 July 2023 , 00:00
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Jordan Henderson has already spoken with England boss Gareth Southgate about his move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq and has been assured it will not impact his international future.
The transfer means Henderson will be reunited with former Liverpool and England teammate Steven Gerrard, who is Al-Ettifaq's manager, having agreed to make the controversial move to the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ettifaq will pay around £13m for Henderson, with the midfielder signing a highly lucrative contract that will see him earn almost £700,000-a-week.
Footage did emerge of him training alongside his new teammates at their training camp in Croatia before the transfer was officially announced, but Henderson has since confirmed his Liverpool exit on social media. In a video posted on Instagram, he told Liverpool fans: "Thank you for allowing me to be part of your club.
"Thank you for your support, through good times and bad. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made and will continue to make. Just know that I will always be a red until the day I die. Thank you for everything. You will never walk alone."
And the Athletic report that before he agreed to join Al-Ettifaq, Henderson held talks with Southgate to discuss whether the move would impact his England future, with Euro 2024 on the horizon. The report states it was a 'key factor in Henderson agreeing to the move', with Southgate telling the midfielder he will continue to be considered for selection.
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Henderson has been a mainstay for England under Southgate, featuring at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2020. The 33-year-old has been widely criticised for the move to Saudi Arabia, having been a vocal supporter of the LGBT+ community in the past. Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, and it remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for LGBT+ people.
Liverpool's LGBT+ fans group Kop Outs have criticised both Henderson and Gerrard for joining Al-Ettifaq, branding it 'deeply disappointing'. They tweeted: "Given choices he has recently made, Kop Outs doubt & question if @JHenderson was ever an actual ally.
Henderson sent a farewell message to Liverpool fans ahead of his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq (Instagram/jordanhenderson)Mirror Football is now on Threads!
"We are deeply disappointed that he is choosing to work as part of a sportswashing operation, attempting to distract from a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed & that regularly tops the world death sentence table. This regime was responsible for the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It flogs people just for advocating for others' human rights.
"It is gobsmacking that a father of young children is moving to a regime that is set to break its promise on executing juveniles. Gerrard's participation in this sportswashing is particularly galling given his previous support for LA Galaxy teammate Robbie Rogers. Any other former teammates should beware.
"We hope that Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard don't have to personally experience the harsh reality faced by LGBT+ people and real advocates for human rights. We question the decision of @LFC to accept money from such a regime. We have long campaigned for Liverpool to resist investment from countries with poor human rights records. It is also a concern as to the due diligence beyond the reputational damage such a deal inflicts."