Jordan Henderson DEFENDS his move to Saudi Arabia, refusing to criticise the league, apologising ‘if I offended anyone’ and claiming £350,000-per-week transfer was a ‘football decision’ before he quit to join Ajax

Jordan Henderson has apologized to the LGBT community if he has ‘offended or let anyone down’ after moving to Saudi Arabia.

Henderson ended his difficult spell at Al-Ettifaq on Thursday after just six months and signed with Ajax on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The 33-year-old was heavily criticized last summer for moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal, with the midfielder previously a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights during his time at Anfield.

And during Ajax’s unveiling on Friday, the England star insisted he still had the same beliefs as ever and expressed sadness at having upset anyone.

“If people from that community feel let down or hurt, I apologize,” he said.

“If anyone is offended or feels like I’m upsetting them, that’s on me, that was my decision and I apologize for that. It was never my intention.

‘Now I just want to look ahead and concentrate on being the best player I can be for Ajax. My beliefs have never changed and never will. Again, I can only apologize if people feel let down.”

When contacted by Mail Sports, Robbie de Santos, director of communications and external affairs at Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ charity, said: “The sad truth is that many LGBTQ+ fans feel let down by Jordan Henderson’s actions.

“When we see our sporting heroes wearing Rainbow Laces and speaking out, it gives us hope. It has never been more important to be an active ally and we hope Jordan will once again use his platform to stand up for LGBTQ+ equality.”

Henderson also insisted he had no bad blood towards the Saudi Pro League, despite his three-year, £350,000-a-week contract expiring two-and-a-half years early.

He added: “I think a lot of people would want me to criticize the Saudi League, that’s not something I’m going to do.

‘I have a lot of respect for them and for those who made me feel welcome. If anyone is offended, I apologize, that was never my intention.”

When asked if he had any regrets about the transfer, Henderson defended his decision, replying: ‘Looking back on that time, it was a big decision that I thought was the right one for me.

‘Things change quickly in football and I am happy with this decision (to come to Ajax) and I felt that this opportunity was too big for me to turn down.

“If you want to call them regrets or mistakes in life, you can, but they are only mistakes if you don’t learn from them, and I learned a lot about Saudi Arabia.

“I don’t have a bad word to say about anyone. I have friends there who I will talk to forever and there were still positives that came out of it.

‘In the end it didn’t turn out the way we both wanted, but it turned out well.’

When asked specifically about his choice to join Ajax, Henderson was equally unequivocal in his response, debunking rumors that there was a financial element to his decision.

He said, ‘Don’t believe what you read in the press! It is one of the largest clubs in the world. The largest club in the Netherlands.

‘I personally thought it was a great opportunity to come to a big club and help them progress and become as successful as possible.

‘It had nothing to do with anything other than a football decision. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to come to such a big club and show what I have done all my life: dedicate my life to football and be as successful as possible.

“The reception here has been incredible and I am very overwhelmed to have the opportunity to play for this great football club.

Henderson continued: “And I want to repay the faith I have shown over the next two and a half years.

“I will give absolutely everything and dedicate my life to this football to get them back on track and be as successful as possible.”

Henderson’s words during the unveiling of his press conference came after he shared a farewell message with supporters of Al-Ettifaq on X, formerly Twitter, last night.

He said: “I regret to say that I will be leaving Al-Ettifaq with immediate effect. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think it’s the best for me and my family.

‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank the club and the fans for all the support during my time. I really felt the love from day one. I will continue to watch and hope for your success. Good luck in the future.’

Mail Sport reported on Wednesday how Henderson had struck a deal to end his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, but the move will cost him millions in taxes after he opted to walk away from a three-year contract with the Saudi Pro League side.

The former Liverpool captain failed to establish himself at the club due to family reasons and discomfort with the climate, while he was also concerned about losing his place in the England squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Several Premier League clubs expressed interest in signing Henderson, but would only have been able to accommodate a loan move due to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

The move to Ajax will see a significant reduction in Henderson’s wages of £350,000 per week and will also cost him millions in bills as he will now be required to pay back taxes on the first six months of his Al-Ettifaq contract.

The Dutch giants have been working hard to secure a deal for Henderson, with interim coach John van’t Schip confirming their interest following his side’s victory over Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday.

“I can confirm that the club and Henderson are in discussions,” said Van’t Schip. “He now has to deal with his club.”

Ajax’s form has improved drastically under Van’t Schip: the Amsterdam team has recorded seven wins and two draws in the Eredivisie since his appointment on October 30.

Due to the unbeaten run, Ajax has risen to fifth place in the rankings, but it is still 23 points behind leader PSV Eindhoven and 11 points behind number two Feyenoord.

Ajax won only five points from the first seven games and dismissed Maurice Steijn after eleven games in the lead.

Meanwhile, after a disappointing Europa League season, they have progressed to the Europa Conference League and will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the knockout round of the play-offs next month.

Henderson’s arrival in Amsterdam also comes afterwards the Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the player has not yet received a penny of his eye-watering £350,000-a-week wages at Al-Ettifaq after deferring payments for the past six months.

Worse still, the report suggests that, according to some sources close to the player, there is a belief that Henderson will never get what he is owed.

It is believed that the reason for delaying his wages was for tax reasons, reportedly in part to return to Britain and represent England.

British law states that any person who spends more than 90 days in the country is considered a resident for tax purposes.

The Telegraph added that the player was believed to have been told he would spend three weeks pro rata in Britain to still be considered a non-resident, with the restriction on his ability to spend time at home a key reason for the postponement. .

As such, he will still see a penny of the money he made during his short stint in Saudi Arabia, and sources claim it is unlikely he ever will.