Henderson makes Ajax debut as Southgate jets in to watch ex-Liverpool star

04 February 2024 , 10:25

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Jordan Henderson made his Ajax debut on Saturday (Image: Getty Images)

England boss Gareth Southgate was in attendance to watch Jordan Henderson make his Ajax debut in a 1-1 draw against runaway Eredivisie leaders PSV on Saturday.

Henderson, 33, joined Ajax on January 18 after Al-Ettifaq agreed to mutually terminate his contract - less than six months since his £12million move to Saudi Arabia last summer. During his time at Al-Ettifaq, the ex-Liverpool captain made 19 appearances but struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East.

Despite signing for Ajax over two weeks ago, Henderson's debut had been delayed while he waited for a work permit. However, Henderson was finally available for Ajax's clash against PSV and he played the full 90 minutes as his side were held to a draw at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Steven Berghuis gave Ajax the lead in the 19th minute before Luuk de Jong equalised to ensure PSV maintained their unbeaten record in Eredivisie this season. As for Ajax, John van't Schip's side sit fifth, eight points behind second-place Feyenoord in the race for guaranteed Champions League group stage qualification.

Speaking after making his Ajax bow, Henderson told ESPN : "Obviously it was a special day for me and my family. To represent this football club for the first time - that was special. And to play in this stadium was really special."

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"PSV have an amazing team, they've been unbeaten all season," Henderson added. "But I thought we had some good chances to win the game towards the end. But unfortunately we couldn't find the back of the net.

"I think there's still a lot to improve on. But it's been a privilege and an honour to play for this club. Unfortunately we couldn't finish it in the end. But we've got a point to move on from."

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Jordan Henderson in action on his Ajax debut (Getty Images)

According to Henderson, he only found out before the match that Southgate was set to be in attendance. He continued: "Hopefully he picked a good game and he enjoyed the game."

Henderson will be eyeing a place in Southgate's England squad at Euro 2024. The midfielder has been included in every Three Lions camp since the World Cup in Qatar and captained his nation against Australia at Wembley in October. In total, Henderson has earned 81 caps for his country.

However, his move to Saudi Arabia sparked debate about whether Henderson should be picked for England going forward. At his Ajax unveiling last month, Henderson admitted he had been in regular contact with Southgate and his move back to Europe had this summer's European Championships in his mind.

Kieran King