“I wish it was” – Jordan Henderson laughs off false claim about staggering wages after leaving Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson recently laughed off claims about earning a staggering £700,000 a week salary for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

Henderson decided to end his 12-year tenure with the Reds on July 27 by joining Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq for a reported transfer fee of £12 million. This move shocked the Anfield faithful as many thought the 33-year-old would have retired at Liverpool.

The England international was also a known advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Hence, many fans questioned whether he was putting money over morals when he decided to join the Saudi Pro League.

In an interview with The Athletic, David Ornstein asked Henderson if he joined El-Ettifaq primarily for the money, to which the latter replied:

"That was the hardest thing. People will see this club come with loads of money and he’s just gone, 'Yeah, I’m going.' When in reality that just wasn’t the case at all. People can believe me or not, but in my life and my career, money has never been a motivation. Ever. Don’t get me wrong, when you move, the business deal has to be tight. You have to have financials, you have to feel wanted, you have to feel valued. And money is a part of that. But that wasn’t the sole reason. And these possibilities came up before money was even mentioned."

The Athletic's Adam Crafton then asked if he was actually earning a reported salary of £700,000 a week. Henderson replied:

"No. I wish it was (laughs). No, honestly, the numbers just aren’t true. But again, it had to work out for us financially as well. I’m not saying that it didn’t and I’m not saying, 'Oh, I’m not on good money' because it’s good money and it was a good deal but it wasn’t the numbers that were reported. No."

Henderson has made a bright start to his Al-Ettifaq tenure, providing two assists in four appearances so far.

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How good was Jordan Henderson for Liverpool?

Jordan Henderson made the bold decision to leave Liverpool after a storied 12-year tenure at the club. He exited the club having established himself as one of the club's best captains in history. Let's take a look at the impact he had at Anfield.

The 33-year-old made 492 appearances across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 61 assists. He was quite versatile and was usually deployed as either the central defensive midfielder or a more offensive central midfielder.

The former Liverpool No. 14 was renowned for his physicality, leadership and work-rate in the Reds' midfield. He won eight major trophies for the club, including the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool will be aiming to find success without their former captain. Jurgen Klopp and Co. have signed four new midfielders this summer: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.