n n n ‘. concat(e. i18n. t(“search. voice. recognition_retry”),’n
England midfielder Jordan Henderson admitted on Friday that it had been a difficult time both for him after his controversial move to Saudi Arabia and for new club Ajax, which is going through a torrid season.
The 33-year-old former Liverpool star never moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq club, staying there for six months amid a firestorm of complaints from gay rights activists, who dismissed the move as hypocritical.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind and crazy few days,” Henderson said in an interview on the club’s website.
Henderson is a staunch supporter of gay rights, and his move to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal, has sparked accusations that he is ahead of principle.
Meanwhile, Ajax has had its worst start to a season in the Dutch league, briefly improving the Eredivisie standings as fan frustration turns violent.
“It’s been a difficult year for the club, both on and off the pitch. But it’s been the same for me for the last six months,” Henderson said.
“So hopefully, we’ll be able to help each other, help each other move forward and try to have as much success as possible in the near future. “
Henderson’s trip to Saudi Arabia, with a salary of up to £700,000 ($887,000) a week, comes on the heels of high-profile signings of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and 2022 French Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
The world’s largest oil exporter has spent scores of millions of dollars on deals to add Formula 1 in Jeddah and the lucrative LIV golf circuit, earning it common claims that it is “laundering through sport” its human rights record.
Saad Allazeez, Vice Chairman and interim CEO of the Saudi league, said some people “don’t always adjust or settle.”
“Everyone has tried and no one is to blame,” he added.
– Goodwill ‘shattered’ –
Ajax manager John van ‘t Schip hopes Henderson’s joy – he has won 81 caps for England and played almost 500 times for Liverpool – can help his young team.
“I know there’s a lot of young players on the team who have a lot of potential,” Henderson said.
“And they wanted to have a little bit more experience to come in and try to help them, advise them on and off the court. I hope I can do that,” he added.
Ajax have enjoyed a renaissance under Van ‘t Schip, from the back of the table to fifth place.
But the Dutch giants remain humiliating to 23 problems from the sick leaders and their bitter rivals, PSV Eindhoven.
They were eliminated from the Dutch Cup through Hercules Rank Amateurs and failed to advance to the Europa League, finishing third in their organization and a position in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.
The supporters’ association said Henderson was a “major player” but “we shouldn’t immediately expect miracles.”
“It is naïve to think that the path to the most sensible is now open. Henderson can’t run the team on his own, oversee the organization, draw the lines, speed up the game and provide coaching. “
The Henderson saga was met with contempt by much of the British press, with the Independent calling it “disastrous”.
His move to Saudi Arabia “destroyed years of goodwill, with a subsequent refusal to say so about money, which almost made the situation worse,” the newspaper said.
Henderson himself has insisted the move had nothing to do with the exorbitant salary, but he feels “unwanted” at Liverpool.
He will have to give up his favorite number 14, which is the Ajax jersey adorned by legend Johan Cruyff.
“Fourteen is my number, but obviously it’s a huge number here and it’s not allowed here. He went for Cruyff, which is. . . understandable,” he laughed.
RIC/JHE/PI