England soccer international Jordan Henderson arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday amid reports he was about to sign a deal with struggling Dutch powerhouse Ajax to end his troubled six-month spell in the Saudi Pro League. (More Football News)
Henderson was pictured in the Dutch city by British broadcaster Sky Sports, which said he met with Ajax representatives and would be signing a 2 1/2-year contract after taking a medical examination.
The 33-year-old Henderson's transfer is seen as a move to consolidate his place in the England squad ahead of the European Championship in Germany starting in June. But it also is a blow for the Saudi league, whose cashed-up clubs have signed a slew of big-name stars, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Henderson signed in July for Al-Ettifaq where he joined another former Liverpool captain in Steven Gerrard, who manages the team. The move sparked a fierce backlash from the LGBTQ+ community.
Amnesty International cautions that in Saudi Arabia, members of the LGBT community, including foreigners “risk imprisonment and corporal punishment for same-sex relations, expressing their identity or support for LGBT rights.”
Henderson had previously signaled his support for inclusivity by wearing rainbow-colored laces as part of an initiative by LGBTQ+ campaign group Stonewall.
Henderson, who has made 81 appearances for England, struggled to lift his team in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ettifaq currently is in eighth place in the Saudi Pro League.
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Ajax, a four-time European champion, has struggled this season just to remain competitive with Dutch teams. Ajax is heading back toward the upper reaches of the Dutch top flight after a disastrous start to the season that saw the club part company with coach Maurice Steijn after just winning just one of its first seven games of the season.
