Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, both clubs announced on Thursday.
Jordan Henderson’s rise to the top has been no easy ride. The midfielder took on the near-impossible task of replacing the legendary Steven Gerrard as club captain in 2015 but has excelled in the role under manager Jürgen Klopp. Henderson’s relentlessness guided the club to their sixth Champions League trophy, firmly writing himself into Anfield folklore.
0 seconds of 1 minute, 12 secondsVolume 0%
The England midfielder is the latest big-name player to move from the Premier League to Saudi Arabia after 12 years at Anfield. “We can confirm @JHenderson has completed a transfer to Al-Ettifaq,” Liverpool said on their social media channels. Al-Ettifaq posted: “A leader. A warrior. We’re simply thrilled to have him.”
The 33-year-old has finalised a deal with reported wages of up to a£700,000-a-week. Liverpool are due to receive an initial £12 million from the Saudi club. “As his Anfield chapter now comes to a close, everyone at the club wishes to place on record their thanks and gratitude for everything Jordan did for us during his 12 years as a Red,” Liverpool said in a statement.
Henderson said his goodbyes to the club’s fans on Wednesday. “It’s hard to put these last 12 years into words and it’s even harder to say goodbye,” he said in an Instagram post. “I will always be a Red. Until the day I die. Thank you for everything. You’ll never walk alone.”
The England international will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard, who is Al-Ettifaq manager. Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland in 2011 and succeeded Gerrard as skipper at Anfield in 2015. France striker Karim Benzema quit Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad, following his former Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr.
Other Premier League players who have moved to Saudi Arabia include Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.
We can confirm @JHenderson has completed a transfer to Al-Ettifaq.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2023
As his Anfield chapter now comes to a close, everyone at the club wishes to place on record their thanks and gratitude for everything Jordan did for us during his 12 years as a Red 👏