Steve McManaman beleives Jordan Henderson’s impending move to Saudi Arabia will signal the end to his England career.
The 33-year-old has left Liverpool’s pre-season training camp in Germany as he closes in on a move to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq side with the Reds accepting a £12m offer for his services.
The former Sunderland man’s decision to call it a day on Merseyside and head to a nation with a questionable human rights record and controversial views on homosexuality has angered many and ex-Red McManaman has questioned whether our No. 14 will move his family out to the Middle East with him.
“I believe Jordan will have to think about it, of course he will,” McManaman told Betfred (via Liverpool Echo) of Henderson’s LGBTQ+ links. “He’s also a permanent fixture in the England team, so I presume he will have to give that up if he moves to Saudi Arabia. I think his chances of getting into England’s Euro 2024 squad are finished if he moves to Saudi Arabia. He won’t get into the England team.
READ MORE: Liverpool legend claims Saudi switch will ‘damage’ Henderson’s ‘legacy’
“That’s another scenario he needs to think about and he’s also going to have to consider what the living conditions are going to be like for his family as well, which is a big issue really.
“Will he take his wife out there? Will he take his children out there? If you’re not going to do that and you go out there for two or three years, then it’s going to be an even tougher decision, so I’m sure there are many different factors weighing on his mind regarding whether he should go or not.
“It’s a big move and that’s not just regarding the money, it’s about everything else. If I was in his position, my principles would be that you can’t necessarily take your family over there, they’d probably have to live elsewhere, so you’d effectively be living there on your own.”
It’s always sad to see a legend leave the club – especially in such a disappointing and unexpected fashion like this.
Henderson won’t have the chance to experience the send off that Bobby Firmino received at the end of the season which is extremely disappointing when you consider he’s captained the club for eight years and has also won every major trophy possible.
His switch from the Premier League to the Saudi Pro League may also see his international career with England come to an end – something that ex-Red Jermaine Pennant believes will be the case.
Jurgen Klopp reportedly informed the midfielder that his game time may be somewhat limited this term following the recent arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai but you’d still expect him to be eager to remain at the club.
The decision that he’s believed to have made is a disappointing one and it’ll be interesting to see how he – and those close to him – adapt to his move to the Middle East.