Jordan Henderson sends stark warning to ex-Liverpool teammate about Saudi Pro League after nightmare spell

Jordan Henderson's nightmare in Saudi Arabia has sent a clear warning to his former Liverpool teammate.

Just six months after he joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool, the English midfielder is set to terminate his contract and complete a permanent move to Dutch giants Ajax.

Henderson was one of several big names to swap the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League last summer, although his decision drew far more criticism than others.

The 33-year-old has previously been outspoken in his support of the LGBTQ+ community and the battle against homophobia, but he contradicted his stance when he signed a £350,000 per week contract with Al-Ettifaq.

Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by execution in Saudi Arabia, but Henderson painted his move as a chance to develop football in the Gulf State.

There's every chance that Henderson will never be paid for his six-month nightmare; he deferred his salary payments in order to avoid UK tax, and sources close to the player believe he'll never see the money.

For whatever reason - perhaps a moral quandary about his decision, he and his family's inability to settle in Saudi Arabia (they have been living in Manama, the capital of neighbouring Bahrain) or the standard of football - the former Liverpool captain has decided to cut his losses.

While every elite footballer's professional and personal circumstances are different, Henderson's experience could serve as a warning to Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian attacker was the subject of a £150 million bid from Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad last summer, and speculation regarding his future has continued despite Liverpool rejecting the offer.

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With Salah's Liverpool contract set to expire in 2025, a host of Saudi clubs are expected to redouble their efforts to sign him this summer. The 31-year-old could secure himself a huge pay day, but as Henderson has shown, the grass isn't always greener.

Salah is a legend at Anfield, and will surely be a shoe-in for the Premier League hall-of-fame. Having scored 153 goals and provided 67 assists in 251 league outings, he will go down as one of Liverpool's greatest ever players.

Henderson prematurely ended his relationship with Liverpool and six months on has realised he made the wrong decision. Salah would do well to learn from his ex-teammate's mistake.

Topics: Liverpool, Jordan Henderson, Mohamed Salah, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Ajax

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton