Al Ettifaq of Saudi Arabia today confirmed the signing of Liverpool Captain Jordan Henderson for a deal that lasts until 2026. The Liverpool captain has reunited with former Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard who earlier this month joined the Saudi Arabian side.
Henderson’s 12 years at Liverpool have been inspiring – going down in record as one of the club’s greatest in history.
Since joining Liverpool from Sunderland in 2011 under the guidance of Kenny Daglish, the Three Lions midfielder has been capped 492 times scoring 33 goals and 61 assists.
He was pivotal during Liverpool’s triumphant years of 2019 and 2020 where the club won their first-ever Premier League title and first UEFA Champions after 15 years.
When Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked during an interview to sum him up as a player on the pitch and the things he has brought over the years, he said:
“Hendo is a really good package, a really good package. There is the physical part, but there is the super-technical part. He is technically really, really good. Which sometimes players, because of the role they see themselves [in] on the pitch, this fighter and stuff like this, don’t always show. You cannot have this amount of Premier League games, you cannot be captain of Liverpool, you cannot play in the most important games in the world if you are technically not on a super-high level – and he is.
Right foot, left foot really good. Tactically he improved the most since we are here, had to play different positions, did that really well. Even played centre-half for us. Had to play No.6, I thought he played a few outstanding games on six.
Let me say this, midfield Fabinho, Hendo, Gini and then Millie, these four for three positions, I think nobody would have said it would be a successful midfield because something is lacking – but nothing was lacking because the boys were all a real package. That’s what was so good and Hendo was a super-important part of that. Some great goals and now after he leaves, we will remember even the goals; there were maybe not exactly as many as there could have been, but some fantastic goals.
One I will never forget was the one at Chelsea, it was a real screamer into the far corner. Top-class professional, top bloke and a really, really, really good player. That’s what you need to be if you want to play that long for Liverpool.”