Jordan Henderson completes transfer to Al-Ettifaq

The move to the Saudi Pro League side sees the midfielder bring an end to his 12-year Reds career, during which he lifted eight trophies, all but one of which as club captain.

Henderson moved to Anfield from Sunderland in the summer of 2011 as then-manager Sir Kenny Dalglish added him to the ranks.

He would feature in more matches than any other player during his first season at the club – and claim a maiden winner’s medal in the League Cup – but a change in boss in 2012 saw him need to re-establish himself as a regular in Liverpool’s starting line-up.

Nevertheless, the determination and resilience Henderson demonstrated throughout his career with the club helped him cement a position as a key member of Brendan Rodgers’ team.

Indeed, in 2013-14 he was pivotal in the Reds’ electrifying title charge and earned himself a place in England’s World Cup finals squad.

By now, Henderson was the club’s vice-captain and he was appointed the successor to the armband on a full-time basis when the legendary Steven Gerrard called time on his Liverpool playing career the following summer.

The appointment of Jürgen Klopp in October 2015 heralded the arrival of the third manager of Henderson’s Reds story – though it would mark the start of a resurgence in the club’s fortunes in which he was fundamental.

A return to the Champions League was secured in 2016-17 and the team went on to reach the final at the conclusion of the subsequent term, though it ended in heartbreak with defeat by Real Madrid in Kyiv.

Liverpool would respond in the best possible fashion, however, posting a 97-point season in the Premier League – missing out on the title by the most minuscule of fractions after just a solitary loss – and claiming a sixth European Cup by beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.

The scenes of Henderson hoisting aloft the trophy in the Spanish capital would become a regular sight over the coming years. The UEFA Super Cup was added next, followed by a first ever FIFA Club World Cup success for Liverpool in December 2019.

Domestically, the Reds were untouchable, too – winning 26 of their opening 27 games and drawing the other.

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily paused the season; however, the resumption of football in June 2020 would enable Liverpool to end a 30-year wait to be crowned league champions, with Henderson lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield in a 99-point term.

Injuries were a contributing factor in a difficult 2020-21 for Klopp’s team, though they would roar back with purpose as they challenged on all four fronts throughout the next campaign.

The Carabao Cup and FA Cup were added to the trophy cabinet, while the Premier League and Champions League narrowly evaded the team’s grasp at the final hurdles.

In what would prove to be his last season as a Liverpool player, Henderson tallied 43 games in all competitions in 2022-23, taking his overall number to 492, supplemented by 33 goals. Only Jamie Carragher and Gerrard have made more Premier League appearances for the Reds.

As his Anfield chapter now comes to a close with a move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, everybody at Liverpool Football Club wishes to place on record their thanks and gratitude for everything Jordan Henderson did for the club during his 12 years as a Red.