Jordan Henderson has revealed that the chance to work with Steven Gerrard was a key reason why he left Liverpool to join Al Ettifaq.
Henderson ended his 12 year association with Liverpool during the summer, making a £12m move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq after the club's new manager Gerrard targeted the midfielder as a priority signing.
The 33-year-old is set to earn a whopping £700,000 per week to play for the Saudi club - nearly £500,000 more than he was earning at Liverpool - during his multi-year contract at Al Ettifaq.
Speaking to Beanyman Sports this week, Henderson has discussed his reasons for making the shock move to Al Ettifaq and his decision to leave Premier League giants Liverpool.
"It’s exciting times, the project and something different is definitely a reason why I wanted to come here," he explained. "Over the next few years, I’m sure it’ll grow and I want to be part of that. I love football so I want to try and go all over the world and I know the people in Saudi love football.
"Hopefully, we can keep continuing to grow the league over the next few years and I can be a big part of that.
"Stevie [Gerrard] was a big reason why I came, to work with him and play under him."
READ MORE ON THE PLAYERS LINKED TO SAUDI ARABIA & THE MONEY ON OFFER
Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia has come under criticism due to the country's laws around homosexuality. The midfielder has previously been a very vocal supporters of the LBGTQ+ community and wore rainbow laces during England's run to the Euro 2020 final.
Rainbow Laces recently released a statement calling on Henderson to continue his work to make football a more inclusive game despite his move to the Middle East.
"We can’t deny the reality of lives for the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia, and we hope that Henderson continues his work to build towards a world where sport is everybody's game," the group said.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Jordan Henderson explains why he left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia.