Former Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson joined Liverpool in 2011 and inherited the captain’s mark from Steven Gerrard. He led the team to the Premier League title, which the former captain had failed to achieve, and hoisted numerous other trophies.
Liverpool, which has revamped its midfielders, had no plans to let Henderson go, and he was expected to lead the team as captain again this season. However, financial temptation from Saudi Arabia and the presence of manager Gerrard led to his decision to move to the Middle East.
The England midfielder recently revealed that the main reason for his sudden move was that no one wanted him to stay.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also mentioned that he had held discussions with him, and although he told him that he wanted him to stay, he could not assure him of regular playing time, which was a factor that made the players think that he was not wanted by anyone.
“Hendo said the truth, in all departments, that’s how it was,”
“We had our talks and I told Hendo I wanted him to stay but we had to talk in these conversations about the possibility of not playing regularly.”
“I cannot have a talk before a season and tell a player they will have 50 games 100 per cent because I don’t know that, it all depends on performance.”
“And if Hendo had performed, he would have had maybe 50 games, absolutely possible.”
“But in the specific situation, with the relationship we had, I thought it was important that we speak about everything because I don’t want to wake up one morning and need to lock horns with each other because he thought he would start and I tell him he isn’t.”
“Obviously (for) Hendo that meant, ‘OK, he doesn’t want me here’. I understand it 100 per cent but we clarified that.”
“If I would have told him ‘Hendo, stay here, you will be the main man in midfield’, he would have stayed but as much as I wanted him to stay, I couldn’t say that so that’s why it was better that Hendo moved on.”
“There’s not a bit of bad blood or whatever.”
Now 33 years of age, the former Sunderland midfielder is no longer able to press as hard as he did in his prime, and his performances were visibly declining when he was busy with international matches or playing every weekend.
Considering that he was one of the reasons for last season’s poor form, it is inevitable that he will be warming the bench more often this season.
Like James Milner last season, he was expected to play a game-clinching role, and if he is not satisfied with that roll, his release may have been a good result for the morale of the entire team.