17 January 2024 , 11:17
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Jack Whitehall once shared a particularly frosty moment with Steven Gerrard after a risky joke about his ex-teammate Jordan Henderson backfired.
Appearing on Sky One's 'A League of Their Own' gameshow in 2020, Whitehall leaned into the belief that Gerrard was the superior Liverpool captain out of him and Henderson. Implying that Henderson could never hope to be as technically gifted as Gerrard was, the English comic mentioned a hotel in Indonesia named after the 2005 Champions League winner, as a testament to his global fame.
"The Stevie G Hotel," he said. "I tried to book a room there and they were fully booked. So I had to stay at one down the road that wasn't nearly as good. It's called the Hotel Jordan Henderson."
Gerrard barely cracked a smile in response and certainly didn't find the gag funny. Whitehall was certainly addressing a tough crowd, as sat alongside Gerrard was fellow former Liverpool man Jamie Redknapp and die-hard Reds fan John Bishop.
Neither Gerrard nor Henderson have much to smile about nowadays though, with the pair struggling to make things work out in the Saudi Pro League. Both are currently representing Al-Ettifaq, with Gerrard as manager while his ex-Anfield colleague Henderson lines up in midfield as captain.
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For just how much longer though remains to be seen, amid a plethora of reports suggesting Henderson is now on his way out of the Middle East having failed to settle since his summer switch from Liverpool. The 33-year-old is also rumoured to have been left disheartened by the dwindling attendances.
Things on the pitch have hardly gone to plan and Gerrard's side are without a win since late October. A nine-game winless run has left them languishing as low as eighth in the Saudi Pro League table, a whopping 28 points behind league leaders Al-Hilal.
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Gerrard didn't take too kindly to the joke made at his ex-teammate's expense (Twitter - @jackwhitehall)All of this has appeared to play into Henderson's decision to walk away six months into his Al-Ettifaq career. The two parties are currently in the process of terminating his deal, meaning that no transfer fee will be involved in his departure.
As revealed by Mirror Football, Henderson is now set to join Ajax on a permanent deal. The Dutch giants have bounced back from a dire start to the season and now sit fifth, likely to be boosted by the imminent arrival of the England international. Henderson's move to Ajax is likely to help his chances of making Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad for Euro 2024 in the summer.