Jordan Henderson: Liverpool transfer exit torn to shreds by Graeme Souness with ‘damaged legacy’ accusation

The impending transfer of Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia has come in for strong criticism from Graeme Souness, with the fiery Scot becoming the latest person to condemn the Liverpool captain over the move.

The long-serving Reds skipper is something of a legendary figure on Merseyside. He joined Liverpool back in summer 2011 for a fee of £20m, which, at the time raised a few eyebrows, but has since been proved one of their most important-ever signings.

Indeed, after 12 seasons of stellar service, Henderson has appeared for the Reds on 492 occasions, captaining the club through one of the most-successful eras in their history.

That legacy was expected to extend into a 13th season on Anfield and, despite his advancing years – Henderson turned 33 last month – he was still a major part of Klopp’s plans going forwards.

However, an approach from Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq has given Henderson a major moral dilemma.

Their approach to him, worth an incredible £700,000 a week over three years after tax would net Henderson a staggering £109.2m. It would set up the Henderson family for generations to come.

And while Al-Ettifaq have seen hopes of a free-transfer quoshed by the Reds, they are happy to meet the apparent £12m asking price on his head.

After taking time to think over the offer, the star has since told Jurgen Klopp he now wants to make the move.

He has now left Liverpool’s pre-season training camp in Germany to wrap up the loose ends of the switch. And it seems he will be making the switch against the best wishes of Klopp.

However, the move to the Gulf State is steeped in controversey.

During his time at Anfield, Henderson has been a staunch supporter of the LGBT+ community.

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Souness criticises Jordan Henderson for Al-Ettifaq transfer

However, by moving to a country branded one of the most dangerous places in the world to be LGBT+, Souness reckons Henderson is undermining all the good work he has done in raising awareness.

Souness himself is also a staunch supporter of the community, having often spoken out against homophobia.

Now, speaking to Sky Bet, Souness has had his say on Henderson’s impending switch.

“I think with him [Henderson], as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a supporter of Rainbow Laces – and then he ends up going to Saudi, I think without a doubt that will damage his legacy.”

Henderson has also been slammed by another Liverpool great in Steve McManaman for making the move.

“I believe Jordan will have to think about it, of course he will. He’s also a permanent fixture in the England team, so I presume he will have to give that up if he moves to Saudi Arabia,” he said earlier this week.

“That’s another scenario he needs to think about and he’s also going to have to consider what the living conditions are going to be like for his family as well, which is a big issue really. Will he take his wife out there? Will he take his children out there?

“If you’re not going to do that and you go out there for two or three years, then it’s going to be an even tougher decision, so I’m sure there are many different factors weighing on his mind regarding whether he should go or not.”

More Henderson criticism

Departing Anfield without a proper farewell will also seem strange for their long-serving skipper.

He will arguably become the highest-profile player, after Cristiano Ronaldo, to make the move to Saudi Arabia when the move goes through.

And more condemnation of the transfer has also arrived from Kop Outs, the Reds’ official LGBT+ fan group.

“Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by Jordan Henderson. We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed,” the group said in a statement.

“When someone’s made a fortune, should money tempt them to go to work? Maybe they should be asking themselves those questions. We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of.”

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