Henderson made gesture to Klopp and Liverpool staff before 'strange' exit

27 July 2023 , 12:30

907     0

Henderson made gesture to Klopp and Liverpool staff before 'strange' exit

Jurgen Klopp has shared how Jordan Henderson waited for Liverpool players and staff to arrive back from Germany to personally say goodbye ahead of his move to Al-Ettifaq.

The Reds captain, 33, missed most of the club's pre-season tour due to transfer talks with the Saudi Pro League outfit. The £12million deal, which was officially confirmed on Thursday, was driven by Anfield legend Steven Gerrard, who became Al-Ettifaq's new head coach earlier this month.

Henderson released an emotional video saying farewell to Reds fans on Wednesday evening. However, the England star took a different approach with his team-mates and the rest of the Liverpool staff.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Klopp said of Henderson and his farewell: "In the moment, it is absolutely fine but it was already ongoing for a while now, so we had time to adapt to it and get used to it. It is football, it is life, it is normal, these kind of things happen.

"Monday when we arrived back in Liverpool, Hendo was waiting for us to say goodbye properly to the team and to the coaching staff as well, so that was a really nice gesture - a really nice thing to do. I know it was a really, really tough decision for Hendo and I was around or with him all the way.

Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush

"It's sad, absolutely strange, because he is the only captain I had here at Liverpool, but I think it is exciting for him as well. We will miss him, without a shadow of a doubt, that's clear - as a man and as a player. But, as I said, that's football."

Henderson has faced fierce criticism for his decision to move to Saudi Arabia given his previous support for the LGBT+ community. It remains illegal to be homosexual or transgender in Saudi Arabia.

Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to Liverpool's outgoing captain Jordan Henderson (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The England star has also been questioned over his decision to sacrifice Premier League football for a three-year contract in a league with a much lower reputation. Henderson is set to be compensated adequately, though, with a package worth £700,000-a-week.

Klopp went on to insist that Henderson has enjoyed a "special" career at Anfield that he and everybody associated with the club should be proud of.

Klopp added: "I know, and it is always like this in life, people will only appreciate him properly after he has left. That's how it is. I think he didn't get the proper appreciation or respect he would have deserved over the years - from some for sure, but not from all.

"Now he leaves, I would say, not on the highest high because obviously last season was not fantastic, but [he is] leaving on a high and I think that's good.

"In the future when people are looking back then they will realise Jordan Henderson was the skipper of [our] most successful squad until then - I hope we can create another one - and the skipper of the first Premier League title winners and all these kind of things. That's a special career. He should be and will be in the future proud of it."

Dan Marsh