Ajax's Henderson bids to restore tarnished reputation after Saudi move

Henderson's decision to terminate his deal with Al-Ettifaq on Thursday came just six months and 19 games into his spell with the club he joined on a lucrative three-year contract in July. In the twilight of his career and coming off a season in which he struggled for form and fitness with Liverpool, Henderson apparently felt the chance for a final payday was worth the potential damage to his image.

The 33-year-old jumped at the chance to accept Al-Ettifaq's offer of weekly wages worth a reported £350,000 leaving Liverpool to allow a £12 million switch that ended his 12-year spell at the Merseyside giants. Henderson was one of a host of big names lured to the Saudi Pro League by the riches on offer in the Gulf state, whose Public Investment Fund aim to use football to present the country in a positive light.

Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Henderson's former Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino were among the stars who headlined a remarkable exodus from Europe. The presence of former Liverpool great Steven Gerrard as Al-Ettifaq manager added to the appeal for Henderson, who heralded his transfer as a chance to "grow the Pro League into one of the best in the world".

But the dream move quickly turned into a nightmare for Henderson, who underestimated the scale of the opprobrium his transfer would trigger. Saudi Arabia's contentious human rights record and laws that make same-sex relationships illegal led the LGBTQ+ groups to turn on Henderson, who had been a high-profile supporter of their community.

Henderson had also earned plaudits, as well as an MBE in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, for taking a leading role in mobilising footballers during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was an architect of the