Jordan Henderson was booed by England fans after an embarrassing Saudi allegations surfaced.
Jordan Henderson was booed by a section of England fans at Wembley Stadium after being substituted during England’s 1-0 win over Australia on Friday night.
Henderson, 33, left Liverpool in a contentious summer transfer window to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq. After previously being a prominent supporter of the LGBT+ community, the midfielder was widely chastised for relocating to a country where homosexuality is banned.
The former Liverpool captain returned to Wembley for the first time for the encounter against the Socceroos, but his experience was marred when he was booed off the field during the second half.
Henderson was substituted just after the hour mark by England manager Gareth Southgate, who made four substitutions following Ollie Watkins’ clinching goal. Henderson, who was substituted by Kieran Trippier, was booed as his name was read out over the Wembley PA system.
The negative reaction from England fans comes just days after a devastating revelation claimed that a number of high-profile players who transferred to Saudi Arabia in the summer, including Henderson, are ‘loathing every minute’ of their new journey. Jordan Henderson was booed by England fans after an embarrassing Saudi allegations surfaced.
According to The Sun, several of the Saudi Pro League’s new recruits have struggled to adjust to life in the Middle East, while league attendance has remained low.
Last month, it was revealed that less than 1,000 people attended Henderson and co’s encounter against Abha, who are managed by Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard. The most recent home game between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Fateh drew fewer than 10,000 supporters.
Henderson agreed to a hefty contract extension with Al-Ettifaq, who finished eighth in the Saudi Pro League last season. Prior to that, the veteran had a tremendously successful 12-year career with Liverpool, where he won both the Premier League and the Champions League as captain.
Despite his transfer to Saudi Arabia, Southgate has continued to select Henderson for his country, which he justified earlier this week. “His physical data is fine,” he remarked. The games are not as intense as the games here. The heat is a factor. There are two or three drink breaks per game, which reflects the atmosphere and has an effect on how teams play. We are keeping a close eye on the situation. I’m going to go watch some sports.
“We’ll get to his games as we do everyone else’s. That’s a lengthier trip, and we’ve felt it’s more vital in these first few months to see as many games live as we can, as early as possible, by travelling throughout our country more. But as time passes, we’ll see more of the Milans, Madrids, and Bayern Munichs, as well as Hendo.”
