""It felt like a breakup," Henderson said. "It was just difficult. "I think if you asked a lot of players when they leave a club -- not just Liverpool -- you have been at for so long and have that attachment to, whether you retire or move on, I think for a period of time it's really difficult. "That was hard but within time things change, you move on, but I would say that was probably the most difficult time.""
"Jordan Henderson likened leaving Liverpool to a breakup and said he has endured "tough moments" since choosing to make the controversial switch to Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old faced widespread criticism in 2023 when the Reds skipper made a lucrative move to play for Al Ettifaq in a country where same sex-relationships are illegal. Henderson had been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and apologised for letting down or hurting anyone in the community having left Saudi to join Ajax six months into a three-year deal."
"Henderson revealed he could not watch a lot of English football after leaving and completely avoided Liverpool matches, joking he "probably picked the right place for that nearly halfway around the world." Yet there was no escaping the anger of some for moving to Saudi, with the midfielder booed by England fans in a pair of Wembley matches in October 2023. The move damaged his reputation and arguably played a part in him missing out in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad."
Jordan Henderson likened leaving Liverpool to a breakup and said he endured "tough moments" after moving to Saudi Arabia. He faced widespread criticism in 2023 when joining Al Ettifaq in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal. Henderson, formerly a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, apologised for letting down or hurting anyone in the community after leaving Saudi to join Ajax six months into a three-year deal. He returned to the Premier League with Brentford and admitted he "struggled for a period" after ending a 12-year association with Liverpool. The move damaged his reputation and coincided with boos from England fans and his Euro 2024 omission.
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