The Liverpool legend said goodbye to Anfield after the 2023 season and signed for Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. The transition caused several people to express strong criticism of the former Liverpool captain.
In January, there were reports that several stars wanted to leave Saudi Arabia and after only 17 games, the parties surprisingly agreed to terminate the agreement, so that the 33-year-old could set course for Amsterdam, where he signed a two and a half year agreement with Ajax.
Several people were surprised by the transfer back in January and so far Henderson has not had a particularly lucky start to his stay.
– Henderson has mainly impressed off the field in the first few weeks, says Tim van Duijn in Voetbal international.
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– Very difficult to excel
He follows Ajax for the renowned football website and covers all aspects of the big club from Amsterdam.
The VI journalist says that the Englishman has mainly had a positive impact on the young players at the club. However, the fact that he came to Ajax from Saudi Arabia does not seem to have been a “problem” for the club’s faithful supporters.
– The fact that he came from Saudi Arabia was not such a big deal in the Netherlands. Maybe it would have been different if it was the other way around and he went from Ajax to Saudi at the peak of his career. There were actually a small number of people who wondered whether it was morally right to sign a player from there, says the reporter and continues:
– Most people were happy that Henderson came to the club because they missed an experienced player in that position and he is a big name despite his age.
However, what the Englishman has shown on the pitch so far has not impressed significantly.
– Now it is important that Henderson also shows his value on the pitch. It is difficult because Ajax is doing poorly and there is no stability in the team. Then it is very difficult to excel and make your mark, whether you are Henderson, Messi or Neymar, he explains.
Things started well with Henderson at the club. From the stands, he watched the team win the first two games after he signed. After he came on the pitch at the start of February, there has been a draw and one loss with the Englishman in the starting eleven.
– If there had been more structure in the team then Henderson would certainly have a great value for Ajax, but the pressure is on him, because Ajax paid a lot of money for Henderson, so it makes sense that people want to see something quickly. I think it will take a little longer for Henderson to shine, says van Duijn clearly.
Was asked questions after Saudi transition
Despite the fact that Henderson has had a mediocre start to his stay at Ajax, and that the club has been in a deep trough, there are also other players who are exposed to criticism.
– People also believe that Steven Bergwijn should be shown more in Ajax, especially because he is the most expensive purchase in the club’s history, says the Ajax journalist.
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The reality in the Dutch capital is, according to the critics, that it is a team that does not run and that there are many different players on the field every week which makes it difficult to get continuity.
– Bergwijn plays on the left, but the players behind him often change and do not have the required Ajax level. There is no structure, no automaticity, little chemistry, so then it is very difficult to impress, even for someone who costs Ajax 31 million euros, he says, adding that there are people who have also cast doubt on whether Henderson is the right man for Ajax.
– Some see him as a “panic signing” and question whether someone who comes from Saudi Arabia should be seen as a savior for Ajax. They paid dearly for him, so there are great expectations, he concludes.
On Thursday evening, Henderson will in all likelihood be in the team that takes on Bodø/Glimt at home in Amsterdam.