Henderson Officially Ends Saudi Nightmare As Ajax Announce Signing

Jordan Henderson officially signed a contract with Ajax, the club announced, barely six months after the midfielder joined Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

Henderson and Al-Ettifaq agreed to terminate the England international’s contract after he was unable to settle in to life at the Saudi side following his move from Liverpool in July. He has since agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Dutch giants Ajax.

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A statement from Ajax read: “Ajax has reached an agreement with Jordan Henderson on his transfer to Amsterdam. The midfielder played for Al-Ettifaq in the past six months. The player, who has 81 caps for the English national team, recently agreed to terminate his contract with the club from Saudi Arabia.”

Al-Ettifaq announced the termination of his contract on Thursday as Ajax confirmed his signing. Speaking of his time in Saudi Arabia, Henderson said: “I’d like to thank the club, the fans and all involved for the opportunity and wish them the best for the remainder of the season. A lot of hard work is going in which I know will pay off in the future.”

Henderson departed from Liverpool to play at Al-Ettifaq with former Reds hero Steven Gerrard. The trip to the Middle East did not, however, turn out as expected, as Al-Ettifaq finished eighth in the rankings after winning just six of their 19 Saudi Pro League games. Henderson is claimed to have spent a fortune making the choice to leave the club since, despite his agreement to postpone payments on his £350,000 weekly contract, he is alleged to have not received any compensation from the club.

Now that he has exchanged Saudi Arabia for the Netherlands, Henderson, who will wear the No. 6 for Ajax, will be looking to return to peak form. The 33-year-old might play on Sunday when the Amsterdam team takes on RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie.