SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Why is Jordan Henderson leaving Saudi Arabia after six months? How much did he earn?
The former Liverpool midfielder faced fierce criticism for joining Ronaldo, Mané and Co in the Middle East and is already on his way back to Europe.
At the end of July 2023, Jordan Henderson followed Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Said Mané in moving to Saudi Arabia, leaving Premier League giants Liverpool for Al Ettifaq, managed by former Reds legend Steven Gerrard. However, less than six months later, the 33-year-old is already set to leave the Middle East.
What was Henderson’s weekly wage in Saudi Arabia?
As reported by The Athletic, the midfielder is closing in on a a move to Dutch club Ajax having become disillusioned with life in the Gulf state, where his family have struggled to settle.
The Englishman signed for the Dammam-based club for a fee of £12 million ($15.2 million) but his personal terms were what really boggled the mind. Henderson has earned a whopping £700,000 (over $887,000) a week during his time in Saudi Arabia, but will now see his wages slashed as he prepares to return to Europe.
Former Liverpool man’s LGBTQ+ controversy
A vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ communities in soccer, Henderson received a huge amount of criticism upon announcing his international to move to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal and can be punished by life imprisonment, deportation, torture and even the death penalty. Despite moving to a league of lesser standing, he has continued to be picked for his country, but was booed by England supporters in a friendly match in October.
On top of that, things haven’t gone especially well in soccer terms. The Daily Mail suggested Henderson has struggled to cope with playing in the Saudi Arabian heat and hasn’t been impressed by the small crowds (only 696 people watched Al Ettifaq’s defeat to Al Riyadh in October). Gerrard’s team are eighth out of 18 in the Saudi Pro League but are on a run of nine matches without a win in all competitions, with their last victory coming at the end of October.
The Athletic say Henderson has reached an agreement with the club to terminate his three-year contract and has agreed “in principle” to join Ajax on a free transfer.
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