‘Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp made their feelings clear – I had no choice but to go'

Jordan Henderson has previously opened up about his departure from Liverpool, revealing he felt undervalued by the club and then manager Jurgen Klopp.

The ex-Reds captain, who secured eight major trophies during his tenure, shocked supporters when he left the club in July 2023, citing a lack of appreciation at Anfield. He then moved to Saudi Pro League team Al-Ettifaq where he was reunited with Liverpool icon and Ettifaq coach Steven Gerrard.

Yet, only half a year into his Saudi Arabian adventure Henderson was back in the news as he parted ways with Al-Ettifaq by mutual consent and swiftly joined Dutch powerhouse Ajax. In November 2023, Henderson discussed his time at Liverpool and his rapport with Klopp.

He clarified that there was no fallout with the former Liverpool manager but expressed feelings of being sidelined by the German and the club’s staff. Nonetheless, he commended Klopp for his honesty regarding his reduced role in the team, as per the Liverpool Echo.

“There were a few things that sent alarm bells ringing,” Henderson said. “I’ve got a very good relationship with Jurgen. He was very honest with me.

“I won’t go into detail about the conversation because it’s private, but it put me in a position where I knew that I wasn’t going to be playing as much. I knew there were going to be new players coming in my position.”

The 34-year-old, who lifted the Premier League trophy with Liverpool in 2020 after a 30-year wait, admitted that regular playtime was crucial for him with Euro 2024 on the horizon. Yet, his concerns were confirmed when Gareth Southgate excluded him from the England squad for the tournament.

“If I’m not playing, as anybody will know, especially the manager, that can be quite difficult for me and especially when I’ve been at a club for so long,” Henderson said. “I’ve captained the team for so long. Especially when England’s a big thing for me.”

The former Sunderland player revealed that once Ettifaq showed interest in him and Liverpool considered the Saudi Pro League club’s offer, he sensed his time at Anfield might be up. After transferring to Ettifaq, Henderson only made 19 appearances for the Saudi Arabian team, while his move was marred in regards to his positive work with LGBTQ+ rights groups.

“There was an approach from Ettifaq to the club to see if it would be possible for me to go there,” he said. “The reaction from the club again wasn’t to say no. At that moment, I felt as though my value or the want for me to stay, with the manager and within the club, maybe it had shifted.

“Now, that’s not to say that they forced me out of the club or they were saying they wanted me to leave but at no point did I feel wanted by the club or anyone to stay. If one of those people said to me, ‘now we want you to stay’, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Henderson enjoyed a hugely successful time with Liverpool after clocking up 492 appearances and scoring 33 goals. His illustrious tenure at Anfield included a Premier League title, the FA Cup, two League Cups, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA World Club Cup, Community Shield, and a Champions League.