Jordan Henderson has admitted he would not “disrespect” a country that criminalises homosexuality by wearing rainbow laces or an armband there.
Henderson broke his silence over arguably the summer’s most controversial transfer, which saw him quit Liverpool for Saudi Arabian Pro League side Al Ettifaq despite having been a long-standing advocate for gay rights.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, Henderson denied putting money before morals by moving to Saudi Arabia and confronted the outrage his decision had sparked among the LGBTQ+ community, proclaiming: “I’m sorry that they feel like that.”
Stating one of his objectives was to help grow the Saudi Pro League “into one of the best in the world”, he said of the backlash from the LGBTQ+ community: “I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help.”
Henderson explained that he reached a decision after asking himself what would change if he rejected their advances, claiming “we can all bury our heads in the sand and criticise different cultures and different countries from afar. But then nothing’s going to happen. Nothing’s going to change.”
But pressed on whether he would continue to show public support for the LGBTQ+ community by donning rainbow armbands or laces, he said he wouldn’t rule the prospect out but that he was determined not to “disrespect the religion and culture in Saudi Arabia” as he wanted to “respect everyone”.
He said: “By doing something like that (wearing rainbow armbands or laces), if that did disrespect the religion, then no, I’m not going to do that.”
The 33-year-old also said he would not have left Liverpool and would have stayed to fight for his place if Jurgen Klopp or owners Fenway Sports Group had urged him to do so, adding: “At no point did I feel wanted by the club.”
He also refused to condemn a video posted to social media by his new club announcing his arrival, in which images of him wearing a rainbow armband was greyed out.
He said: “I didn’t know anything about it until it was out. And it’s hard for me to know and understand everything because it is part of the religion. So if I wear the rainbow armband, if that disrespects their religion, then that’s not right either.”
Henderson, the man who captained the Anfield side to their first Premier League title – and first English championship for 30 years – as well as their sixth European Cup triumph, also hit back at suggestions he has put money first over his morals. “People will see this club come with loads of money and he’s just gone, ‘Yeah, I’m going’. When in reality that just wasn’t the case at all.”
He insisted money has never been a motivation for him during his career, and although he accepted that financial deals are a big part of football, the main reason for the move is to feel “wanted” and “valued”.
Chronicling the events that led to the end of his 12 years at Anfield, Henderson said “there were a few things that sent alarm bells ringing” when no one there expressed to him that they wanted him to stay. “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.”
