20 July 2023 , 12:29
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Graeme Souness has become the latest Liverpool legend to slam Jordan Henderson 's impending move to Saudi Arabia.
Henderson has accepted a £700,000 per week contract with Al-Ettifaq, with the Saudi Pro League side having agreed a £12million fee with the Reds. The Liverpool captain has faced a fierce backlash for his decision to move to the Middle East country.
During his time as skipper, Henderson has been a vocal supporter of the LGBT+ community. But he is now moving to a country ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be LGBT+, with homosexuality illegal and punishable by the death penalty.
Souness has also been a huge backer for the community, frequently speaking out against homophobia during his time as a pundit for Sky Sports. And now the Scot has taken aim at Henderson for turning his back on them.
He told Sky Bet : “I think with him [Henderson], as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a supporter of Rainbow Laces – and then he ends up going to Saudi, I think without a doubt that will damage his legacy.”
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Souness' comments come as a survey by Sky Bet Fan Hope revealed that 68 per cent of Liverpool fans also took a dim view of Henderson's decision to move to Saudi Arabia. Four in five Premier League fans also agree with Souness that Henderson's move undoes his previous work for the LGBT+ community.
Former Liverpool skipper Souness is not the first Reds icon to take aim at Henderson for his move to Saudi. Steve McManaman has also criticised the Englishman for opting to take up Al-Ettifaq's offer.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Has Jordan Henderson ruined his legacy by moving to Saudi Arabia? Comment below.
Souness believes that Henderson has ruined his reputation of being an ally to the LGBT+ community (Getty Images)"I believe Jordan will have to think about it, of course he will. He’s also a permanent fixture in the England team, so I presume he will have to give that up if he moves to Saudi Arabia," he said earlier this week.
"That’s another scenario he needs to think about and he’s also going to have to consider what the living conditions are going to be like for his family as well, which is a big issue really. Will he take his wife out there? Will he take his children out there?
"If you’re not going to do that and you go out there for two or three years, then it’s going to be an even tougher decision, so I’m sure there are many different factors weighing on his mind regarding whether he should go or not."
One group of Liverpool fans who have certainly been left unimpressed by Henderson's move have been its LGBT+ supporters. Kop Outs, the Reds' official LGBT+ fan group slammed the Englishman last week.
"Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by Jordan Henderson. We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed," the group said in a statement.
"When someone's made a fortune, should money tempt them to go to work? Maybe they should be asking themselves those questions. We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of."