Jordan Henderson faces brutal Liverpool legacy question after Saudi Arabia transfer

There has never been a Liverpool player polarise opinion quite like Jordan Henderson. And, having done so for practically the entirety of his 12-year stay with the Reds, there probably never will be to such an extent again.

But his controversial departure to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq - where he will be reunited with former Reds team-mate Steven Gerrard - is prompting rare general consensus regarding the 33-year-old.

Yes, there are still a dwindling number content Henderson has the freedom to do whatever he wants, his Anfield legacy secured after leading Jurgen Klopp's side as they cleaned up the major honours in recent years.

Even that group, though, would admit the current Liverpool captain walking away - mere weeks ahead of the start of the season - from the most intense battle for his midfield starting role to instead accept a lucrative offer from a controversial league isn't a good look. It isn't a good look at all.

And that's without even factoring in the unique circumstances that have prompted Henderson to receive far greater criticism than others who have opted to jump aboard the Saudi Arabia gravy train.

Right up until the very last moment - and how bizarre that was, with Henderson pictured training with his new club and then releasing a farewell video before the transfer had been confirmed - there was a sense the England international was merely toying with the idea of making a move before staying put. Surely he would see how problematic a move would be and retreat.

Not so. Now Henderson must be braced for the backlash that is likely to follow, his support of - among many causes during his career - the LGBTQ+ community and the Rainbow Laces initiative very much at odds with moving to a country where same-sex relationships are illegal and, in the most extreme cases, punishable with the death penalty.

It's why Henderson is being treated differently to others who have moved to Saudi Arabia, his transfer laced with hypocrisy. Certainly, Fabinho's imminent similar transfer hasn't prompted the same discourse, nor that of huge Kop favourite Roberto Firmino. And there was negligible furore over Anfield legends Gerrard and Robbie Fowler going to work in the country.

The pleas to Henderson were public. "When Jordan Henderson met Paul Amann of Kop Outs in August 2021, Jordan said if there's ever anything I can do to help, just ask," tweeted Kop Outs on Wednesday morning. "So the ask is to stand by your words as a professed ally and champion of LGBT+ rights, of women's rights and of basic human dignity. Don't go to Saudi."

Indeed, there are people in the LGBTQ+ community who live in Saudi Arabia being forced to exist in the shadows by the country's strict regime. Interesting, then, to this week read comments from Robbie de Santos, director of external affairs at LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, who thanked Henderson for his support before stating: "We can’t deny the reality of lives for the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia, and we hope that Henderson continues his work to build towards a world where sport is everybody's game."

But while Henderson won't have changed his beliefs over such matters, his transfer to Al-Ettifaq means they are going to be questioned, his previous sterling work sadly undermined.

If most will view joining the Saudi Pro League as the player legitimising the country's strict laws, some will hope his presence shows the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia has at least one public supporter. After all, his initial flirtation with the idea brought the issue firmly into the spotlight.

But is that really enough? Wouldn't ultimately resisting the move have been an even greater statement?

As is so often the case, there is undoubtedly more to this transfer than meets the eye. Only over time will the true back story emerge of this move, although it will be interesting to discover how Henderson details events, let alone his true feelings on the matter.

At a basic football level, for Liverpool the offer of an initial £12million for a player who - like almost any footballer at 33 - is past his best and would have been inevitably phased out of the team represents decent financial business, even if the timing and the loss of his vast experience, particularly after former vice-captain James Milner departed earlier in the summer, isn't ideal.

And Henderson will certainly gain more minutes playing for Al-Ettifaq than with Liverpool. But the Saudi Pro League, while clearly working hard to fast-track a reputation and establish itself as a destination for leading players, isn't Serie A. It isn't La Liga. It isn't the Bundesliga. It isn't Ligue Un. And it isn't even MLS. With Henderson keen to play at Euro 2024 for England, moving to a far less competitive league will surely compromise efforts to persuade Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate to keep faith in the midfielder.

Let's not forget, too, the Saudi sportswashing web is intricate and widespread. Few leading clubs can claim to be truly untouched, although that doesn't excuse those taking it to the extreme or turning a blind eye to the situation. We all know who they are.

But the harsh fact is an incumbent Liverpool captain has jumped ship to an unheralded league for an astronomical amount of cash. That is an inescapable truth.

Nothing can take away from what Henderson achieved with the Reds. However, his own image - and ultimately his Anfield legacy - is now very much in danger of being tarnished. It didn't have to be this way.