Henderson handed Ajax reality check after "stronger" claim from Gerrard

11 February 2024 , 17:34

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Jordan Henderson's first appearance as Ajax captain did not go to plan (Image: Getty Images)

Jordan Henderson is still winless as an Ajax player after the Dutch side lost their first league game in over three months.

The former Liverpool midfielder made his second appearance for his new club against Heerenveen on Sunday. Ajax found themselves 3-0 behind after a double from Pelle van Amersfoort sandwiched a strike from Osame Sahraoui.

Pawel Bochniewicz scored an own goal to reduce the deficit, with Chuba Akpom getting another back for Ajax. They were not able to find an equaliser, leaving them fifth in the Eredivisie and 22 points behind leaders PSV.

Henderson played for the full 90 minutes. Interim head coach John van't Schip was left furious with his side’s showing. He said: "It just wasn't good enough today.

"We are Ajax and I don't want to complain about referee decisions. We should have done better before in the first place. We need to rise again. Bodo/Glimt is a good opportunity for that this Thursday."

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While Henderson has yet to win a game as an Ajax player, it appears that his former club are quickly moving on from him. The midfielder quit Al-Ettifaq in January just six months after his big-money switch to Saudi Arabia.

Former boss Steven Gerrard has already hinted that his side are better off without Henderson after concluding their transfer business. He said: "We've tried to look for certain upgrades that are going to be ready to contribute, to push foreign players for starting spots. The squad, in my opinion, is looking stronger and healthier than it did before."

Jordan Henderson reacts to Ajax's defeat by Heerenveen (Getty Images)

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The Liverpool icon added: "Everyone is extremely ready, we've added (Toko) Ekambi in the last couple of days so we need to get him up to speed and ready, we're looking forward to welcoming Seko Fofana who will come in and make us stronger. We're in a good place, we need to keep the boys focused and ready for Thursday night."

Gerrard’s side currently sit eighth in the 18-team Saudi Pro League after 19 games of the season. They are next back in action on Thursday evening as they take on Al-Khaleej.

Henderson, 33, made 19 appearances for Ettifaq during his brief spell with the club. He failed to score but did manage to rack up five assists. The midfielder's contract with the Saudi side was originally set to run until the summer of 2026 but he served just six months of that. The remainder of his deal was terminated to facilitate his move to Ajax.

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Daniel Orme