"Maybe he just couldn’t stomach the fight for his place" - Pundit calls out ex-Liverpool star Jordan Henderson following his recent interview

Chris Sutton has taken shots at Jordan Henderson following his exit from Liverpool. He reckons the midfielder could not stomach a fight with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and left at his first chance.

Henderson joined Al Ettifaq this summer after an offer from Steven Gerrard's side. He has made his debut for the Saudi Arabian side but said that he was not asked to stay at Anfield by the Reds.

On It's All Coming Up, Sutton countered that Henderson jumped at the first chance to leave Liverpool. He reckons the Englishman was not ready to fight for his place:

"It's surprised me a little bit. The type of character I think we've all perceived Jordan to be over the years is a real fighter. But the stuff he talked about, the conversation with Jurgen Klopp and not feeling valued, I don't get that.

"He was still under contract at Liverpool, and maybe he just couldn't stomach the fight for his place up against the likes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai."

Liverpool also signed Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch after the Englishman left Anfield.

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Jordan Henderson says Liverpool did not stop him from leaving

Jordan Henderson told The Athletic earlier this week that he was not asked by anyone at Liverpool to stay. He reckons the club were happy to sell him, and he had to think about the EUROs next year, as he wants to play for the national team.

Henderson said:

"The reaction from the club again wasn't to say no. At that moment, I felt as though my value or the want for me to stay, with the manager and within the club, maybe it had shifted. I knew that time would come at some point. I didn't think it would be now. And I had to accept that."

Henderson added:

"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."

Manager Jurgen Klopp told the media that he wanted the midfielder to stay, but the offer from the SPL was too good for Henderson to turn down.