Jurgen Klopp passionately defends Jordan Henderson for Saudi Arabia move: ‘How dare we’ judge him

Jurgen Klopp has sprung to the defence of Jordan Henderson by saying his critics should not have judged the former Liverpool captain for moving to Saudi Arabia.

Henderson joined Ajax on Thursday, which Klopp thinks will be a wonderful move for the midfielder and his family, after ripping up his lucrative contract with Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro-League after just six months and only 19 games.

The England international had been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and was blamed for then joining a club in a country where homosexuality is criminalised.

But Klopp believes that no one gets every decision right in life and feels assessments of Henderson’s choices have been too harsh.

The Liverpool manager said: “I’m happy for him as it looks like he is happy and that is the most important thing to me. From time to time, I forget I actually don’t read these kind of stories but when it’s not about us I read a bit.

“People are really critical of Hendo about the move, first there and now coming back. I don’t know how we dare, always judging these kind of things. We have one life and we have to make decisions and sometimes our decisions are perfect in the first case and sometimes it is different after you made them.

“He was there and it was 100 per cent an interesting experience. I spoke to him and 99 per cent of football things there were absolutely fine. It is the start of something and it is not like it is here – imagine it would immediately be like that.

“There are many things to develop in the future but [he was] never really critical or saying ‘It’s not possible that that’s not there’. But then he thought it is better for him and the family to come back to Europe and now he is at Ajax Amsterdam, a sensational club in a difficult moment.”

Ajax made the worst start to a season in their history and, despite a recent revival, are still only fifth in the Dutch league.

Klopp feels Henderson’s influence will help Ajax’s young players and thinks his family, who struggled to settle in the Middle East, will enjoy life in the Netherlands.

He added: “Ajax always played the best football when combined the real talent that is always there with some experience and that is obviously now the role for Hendo. He is part of that experienced group and from fifth place in Holland, you can make steps and it’s all positive. It’s an experience.

“Only in England do people think ‘Why do they go abroad?’ All other countries want to come to England. It is beautiful, this country, and they want to make international experiences and for me, it is the same.

“He is going to Holland where he can enjoy his football definitely again. The family will feel wonderful because the city is absolutely outstanding and I am very happy for him and will definitely talk to him in these [next] few days but he has a few things to do which are more important.”