Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reacts to Jordan Henderson quitting Saudi Arabia after six months

Jurgen Klopp has defended Jordan Henderson's transfer to Ajax after the former Liverpool midifielder departed Al-Ettifaq having barely spent six months in the Saudi Pro League.

Henderson made the move to the Middle East in controversial fashion when he signed a three-year deal worth £350,000-a-week in the summer. The 33-year-old faced accusations of hypocrisy for making the move to the country given his support of the LGBTQ+ community.

In an interview in September, the England international suggested he hoped to 'achieve something special and build a club and build the league'. Henderson instead agreed to terminate his deal with Al-Ettifaq before joining Ajax as a free agent.

His former coach does not believe that the Sunderland academy product should be judged for his latest move however.

Speaking in his press conference, the German said: "I am happy for him because it looks like he's happy and that's the most important thing for me. I don't read these stories, people are critical of the move, first there and now coming back.

"I don't know how we dare to judge, we have one life and sometimes you make decisions and it is different after you make them. Ninety-nine per cent when I spoke to him was football wise, many things to develop there but not critical [of Saudi] but then he thought it was better to come back with his family. Ajax is a sensational club."

Henderson appears to have departed Saudi Arabia without causing too much ill-feeling. Saudi Pro League vice-chairman Saad Allazeez belives that nobody was to blame for the split, and complimented Al-Effitaq on how they handled the situation.

He said: "This is all just part of football, all across the world and life, across all careers. Sometimes despite best efforts people