England LGBT+ group insists "door remains open" to Henderson ahead of protest

05 September 2023 , 16:05

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England's LGBT+ supporters group have insisted that their door "remains open" to Jordan Henderson as they prepare to protest against the midfielder.

On Tuesday, Henderson attempted to defend himself for his move to Saudi Arabia over the summer. At the time, the former Liverpool star came under fire for his apparent hypocrisy having moved to a country that puts LGBT+ people to death, having previously been a vocal supporter of the community.

His attempted defence ahead of England's games against Ukraine and Scotland have not washed with LGBT+ fans though. While they also blasted Henderson, Three Lions Pride have insisted that they remain available for "constructive conversations".

"If criticism “really hurts” you then just imagine the pain of your very existence being criminalised, penalised and the cause of state sanctioned abuse," the group said in a statement on Twitter.

"Your hurt over valid criticism does not supersede the reality of your decisions. Our door, as always, remains open for constructive conversations."

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Henderson directly addressed the concerns of the LGBT+ community in his interview with The Athletic. And he admitted that he felt hurt by the backlash from the community as he attempted to defend himself.

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Jordan Henderson has been blasted by England's LGBT+ supporters group (Francois Nel/Getty Images)

"I just feel as though, because I do care about different causes that I’ve been involved in, and different communities… I do care. And for people to criticise and say that I’d turned my back on them really, really hurt me," he said.

"I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they had asked for my help.

"What I wouldn’t do is disrespect the religion and culture in Saudi Arabia. The last thing I want to do is to upset anyone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. When I hear stuff like, “You’ve turned your back on us”, that hurts me. I do care."

Henderson is set to face increased hostility during England's games over the next week. Three Lions Pride themselves have called on fans to protest against the midfielder for turning his back on LGBT+ people by moving to a country that persecutes the community.

"Today, the Three Lions squad for September's men's international break was announced & Henderson has continued his run of England squad call ups," the group said when Henderson was named in Gareth Southgate's squad.

"Normally, this would bring some excitement and pride for our group but be nothing unusual for most observers. This squad call up is different. We have had a number of enquiries regarding our response to Henderson's call up due to this being the first England squad since his move to Saudi Arabia.

"For us, the excitement is replaced with apathy for a footballer who has failed us. Our desire for England to win is unwavering but our support individually for Henderson is gone. There will be no more cheering when his name is announced, no more banner with his face on.

"If he does play, we imagine that many of our group will turn their back to the pitch as he enters the field of play much like he turned his back on advocating human rights. Henderson's bank balance may be burgeoning, but our respect and his off field legacy is lost & can never be won back."