“At no point did I feel wanted by the club or anyone to stay” – Jordan Henderson opens up on Liverpool exit 

Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson recently said that he no longer felt wanted at the Merseyside club ahead of his departure to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. The Englishman completed a £12 million move to the SPL club in the summer transfer window.

Henderson claimed that he kept himself in shape during the summer break and was ready to fight for his place during the 2023-24 season. However, after being informed by Jurgen Klopp that his role in the Reds' midfield would reduce, the former captain didn't feel wanted at the club. He told The Athletic:

"If one of those people said to me, 'Now we want you to stay', then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And I have to then think about what’s next for me in my career. Now, that’s not to say that they forced me out of the club or they were saying they wanted me to leave but at no point did I feel wanted by the club or anyone to stay."

Jordan Henderson joined Liverpool back in 2011 and made 492 appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals and providing 61 assists. He led the team to Premier League and Champions League triumphs in recent seasons, but there had been a noticeable drop in his performances lately.

There was a huge re-shuffling in Liverpool's midfield over the summer. Players like Naby Keita, James Milner, Fabinho, and others left the club. Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alexis Mac Allister were the arrivals in the Reds' midfield.

Henderson, meanwhile, has already made four appearances for Al-Ettifaq, providing two assists for the team managed by former teammate Steven Gerrard.

Jordan Henderson reveals why he accepted a move to Saudi Arabia after leaving Liverpool

Jordan Henderson's move to Al-Ettifaq came as a surprise to many after the player decided to leave Liverpool. Henderson has now explained why he chose a move to Saudi Arabia.

The midfielder said that he is looking to get regular playing time in his career and as a result, the move to Al-Ettifaq made sense. Speaking on the matter, Henderson said (via the aforementioned source):

"I’m at the latter stage of my career and I want to be happy playing football. I want to play. I don’t want to be sitting on the bench and coming on for 10 minutes in games. And I knew that would have an effect on my chances of playing for England."

Jordan Henderson was recently joined by former Liverpool teammate Georgino Wijnaldum at the club.