‘Money has never been a motivation,’ according to footballer Jordan Henderson, the ex Liverpool captain and recent recruit to Al Ettifaq in the Saudi pro-league. But it is hard to believe that the main reason for moving to the Middle East wasn’t the reported £700,000-a-week contract.
For many football fans, Henderson tarnished his reputation with his high-profile transfer earlier this summer. Now, he has finally broken his silence on the subject. Yet his interview with the Athletic might make matters worse.
One of the biggest criticisms aimed at the footballer – who was a vocal advocate of the rainbow laces and armband campaign in support of LGBT rights during his time in the Premier League – is that he has turned his back on gay fans. Many of these supporters have effectively disowned him over his move to a country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death.
Henderson sounds a bit like a politician trying to sound high-minded
On the question of LGBTQ+ issues, Henderson stresses that he never intended to offend anyone.
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