October 15th 2023.
Jordan Henderson was left disappointed when his own fans booed him while captaining England against Australia. The former Liverpool captain had recently moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq and his transfer was widely criticised due to the country's laws on homosexuality. As a result, England fans made their feelings clear when the Three Lions faced Australia on Friday.
Despite the negative reception, Henderson remained unfazed and insisted that he was still giving everything when playing for England. He said: “If people want to boo if I’m playing in a different country, that’s fine. Everyone is going to have an opinion over playing over in Saudi. I want to keep playing and help the team become successful.”
The midfielder admitted that he can understand why the LGBTQ+ community are especially disappointed with his decision, but stated that he is trying to be a positive influence in Saudi. He went on to explain: “I haven’t been surprised by that because I can understand the reasons in what they’re saying. I’m playing football in a different country where I want to try to improve the game on the pitch but also things off the pitch as well. I’m not a politician. I’m not going to get into politics. All I’ve ever done is concentrate on my football and try to help people that have asked for my help.”
The midfielder also highlighted that he had received positive feedback from fans on the street, despite the boos on Friday. He concluded: “It’s not nice, your own fans, if they were booing. But people have their own opinions. Whenever I bump into anyone on the street it’s always been positive.”
England are back in action on Tuesday night in European Championship qualifying against Italy and Henderson is hoping to be involved, although he is more likely to be on the bench.
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