Jordan Henderson has insisted he has no regrets over his Liverpool exit and says he hopes Jürgen Klopp achieves a “fairytale” ending, with the club pushing to win four trophies before the manager departs at the end of the season. The 33-year-old said that although it hurt him to leave, it was the “best decision” for all parties for Klopp to freshen up his side for this season.
The England midfielder signed for the Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq last summer before terminating his contract to join Ajax on a two-and-a-half-year deal in January. He captained Liverpool to the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup during his 12 years at the club. Henderson said he regarded his former Liverpool teammates “like best friends and brothers” and that he was not as surprised by news of Klopp’s exit “as everyone else”.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
“I just hope the end of the story is a fairytale for him and the boys and the club because they all deserve it,” Henderson said, speaking before Ajax face Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League last 16. “Last season was so tough on many different aspects of it, off the field, on the field, so for this season to be going as well as it has, I’m so proud of them.
“I was the captain for a long time there and all of the team still feel like my best friends, they are my brothers for life, really. I just want to see them end the season like they have been playing the whole year, with the young players coming in as well. I hope they can end the season on a high and win as many trophies as possible.”
Asked whether he had given thought to the idea that he could have been part of Liverpool’s side this season given the heavy schedule, Henderson replied: “Not really … I think it was the right time for me as a player but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time. I was very emotional. Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club.
“It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil [van Dijk] becoming captain, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] becoming vice-captain, and how they’ve stepped up again this season, I think it has given them another lift. They have been two huge players for the team this season. I think it was the best thing for the club and the team and you can see that in the performances and how they’ve done, as much as that hurts me. It’s football and you move on.”
Henderson, who has 81 caps, said he was hopeful of being selected by Gareth Southgate when the England manager announces his squad next Thursday for friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Southgate attended Henderson’s Eredivisie debut, against PSV Eindhoven, at the start of last month. “It was nice for him to come and watch and to see that he is keeping an eye on us,” Henderson said. “It has always been an honour and a privilege to play for my country and I want to do that for as long as possible. Ultimately I’ve got to focus on my job here with Ajax and if I’m doing that well and performing well then that gives us the best possible opportunity to get into the squad.”
