Gareth Southgate Understands Criticism of Jordan Henderson’s Move to Saudi Arabian Club Al-Ettifaq
England manager Gareth Southgate has spoken out about the criticism Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has received for joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. The move has been met with scrutiny due to Henderson’s long-time support for the LGBT+ community and the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign. Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, while the state stands accused of a host of other abuses including placing harsh restrictions on women’s rights and the right to political protest.
Pride in Football, a network of LGBT+ fan groups, said the England midfielder had “lost the respect of so many people who valued and trusted” him but Southgate says it is not a black and white matter. “It’s not for me to judge any individual whether they’re in football or in any other industry,” Southgate told talkSPORT.
Southgate: It’s a Complex World
Southgate went on to say that it is a complex world and that it would be wrong to rule Henderson out based on where he is playing. “We have an idea of what that league will look like but we won’t know until we actually start to see the games,” said Southgate. “If you asked me three months ago what that league would look like, I’d have a very different idea to what it is looking like as more and more players decide to go there. Big-name players but not so many that are in the prime of their careers but not players past their sell-by date. I think that whole project is fascinating for where it is going to head and what that might look like over the next few years. But Henderson won’t be playing in the Premier League. He won’t play in the Champions League, which is the easiest assessment for the level he is playing at.”
Henderson’s Salary and England Career
Henderson will be making more money than he ever has before, with a reported £700,000 per week salary, but the standard of football in the league may affect whether his England career continues. Southgate revealed the 33-year-old sought assurances about the prospect of being overlooked if he were to move. The England boss added: “I spoke to him in the summer, the question he wanted to know was, ‘If I move here, are you going to automatically rule me out?’ We would be stupid to do that. Why would we rule anyone out based on where they are playing? We have got to see how they are playing.”
Conclusion
Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq has been met with criticism due to his long-time support for the LGBT+ community and the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign. England manager Gareth Southgate has spoken out about the situation, saying it is a complex world and that it would be wrong to rule Henderson out based on where he is playing. Henderson will be making more money than he ever has before, but the standard of football in the league may affect whether his England career continues. Southgate revealed Henderson sought assurances about the prospect of being overlooked if he were to move. It remains to be seen how this situation will play out in the coming months.