- Jordan Henderson made his first appearance for Ajax in the 1-1 draw against PSV
- The midfielder played the full ninety minutes and was watched by Gareth Southgate
- Who is the biggest winner of the January transfer window? It all starts Transferweek podcast
Jordan Henderson admitted he had no idea Gareth Southgate was coming to Amsterdam to watch his Ajax debut against PSV.
‘I didn’t know he (Southgate) was here. I’m just finding out now,” Henderson admitted after the match.
“I don’t know (if he kept it a secret). He may not have wanted to put pressure on me, but it’s nice to know he came to watch. He has chosen a fun and intense match to watch.”
Henderson started for Ajax and played the full match against the leaders, who are unbeaten in the Eredivisie this season and are 21 points ahead of the hosts after a 1-1 draw.
The 33-year-old played a deeper role in midfield and had an almost immediate impact with a high through ball to Kenneth Taylor, who failed to convert.
Jordan Henderson had no idea Gareth Southgate had seen his debut for Ajax in person
England boss Southgate was joined by good friend Steve Cooper in the stands in Amsterdam
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A few minutes later, Henderson was involved in the action that gave Ajax captain Steven Berghuis the lead, before PSV equalized through Luuk De Jong.
It was the England midfielder’s first match since playing for Al Ettifaq against Al Hazem in Saudi Arabia in front of 5,000 fans in December, and his pre-match debut at the Johan Cruijff Arena was received with the loudest cheers of any Ajax team. players. players from an audience of over 50,000.
‘It felt incredible. It certainly didn’t disappoint, and I loved every second of it,” said Henderson, who stressed his desire to close the book on his controversial six-month stint in Saudi Arabia.
‘I just want to concentrate on Ajax and the future and concentrate on this new chapter of my career. This was a special night for me to be there and a great game to start with,” Henderson added. ‘It’s been an incredible first few weeks.
‘I couldn’t have felt more at home if I had tried. I’m in a very good place and it feels like I’ve been here for so long.’
Henderson (left) was involved in the move that led to Steven Berghuis opening the scoring
After leaving Saudi Arabia, Henderson is keen to close the book on the controversial period
There was such a fuss surrounding the Premier League and Champions League winning captain that since Henderson arrived in Amsterdam just over a fortnight ago, his shirt has become the fastest selling shirt in Ajax history, while pillows, sheets and towels featuring Henderson and No. 6 of them are all sold out in the club store.
Southgate was accompanied for the trip to the Netherlands by his good friend and former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.
In October, the England boss said he could not understand why England fans booed Henderson during a friendly against Australia at Wembley. He has publicly supported the former Liverpool captain since his controversial decision to leave Liverpool for the Middle East.
Asked whether Henderson still warrants a place in the England squad ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany, he delivered a trademark performance with consistent energy in this 90-minute match against Champions League level opponents.
Given the size of PSV’s lead at the top of the Eredivisie, it is unlikely he will face a tougher test for the remainder of the season unless Ajax progress in the Europa Conference League.
Henderson, who left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia last summer, ended his three-year contract with Al Ettifaq in January after making just 17 appearances in the Saudi Pro League, stating that ‘it was mainly a football decision.’