How bad must it be? How bad must it be for Jordan Henderson to come to life in the Saudi Arabian Pro League for it to be worth it? He went there bravely, presenting himself as a pioneer in developing Saudi football and naively insisting that he had to find out the truth about LGBTQ+ rights in Saudi Arabia; Set to return to Europe with Ajax in six months, he looks ridiculous and faces a huge tax bill.
Henderson had a reputation as one of the brighter and more active footballers. He ran a campaign to raise funds for NHS staff during the pandemic and spoke out about homophobia issues. As he ruefully put it in his infamous interview in the Athletic: “I put the laces on. “I put the armband on.” But when it came down to it, he took the money: not quite as much as the reported £700,000 a week, but still “good money”, he says. Everyone has principles until £30 million a year is offered.
Relating to: Steven Gerrard protected by status but Al-Ettifaq job hangs in the balance
If Henderson had stayed for two years, this salary would have been tax-free. As such, he will be subject to Saudi income tax at 20%. By leaving now he stands to lose at least £3 million in taxes. But there is also the fact that he will be tax resident in the UK or the Netherlands for this tax year. The UK has an effective tax rate of 47% on his level of income, including national insurance. In the Netherlands, this rate is 49.5%. This means a significant additional bill.
What was so cruel about playing for Al-Ettifaq that caused him to take a financial hit? Wouldn’t his pride keep him there? Given the anger and accusations of hypocrisy surrounding his departure, wouldn’t he want to at least stay for a full season so he could say it wasn’t actually that bad?
Al-Ettifaq have not won any of their last nine matches. The average home run this season is up 31% from last year, so in that sense Henderson has done his job. But there are still only 7,854 people, and in a stadium with a capacity of 35,000, that number must be depressing. They are losing, the pitch is barely a fifth full, the weather is hot, perhaps Steven Gerrard was not the inspirational coach Henderson believed him to be. But is any of this worth the humiliation?
Regarding the LGBTQ+ issue, Henderson said, “We can all bury our heads in the sand and criticize different cultures, different countries from afar.” “But then nothing will happen. Nothing will change.” Perhaps it was after surveying the sand above the surface that he realized how illogical his position was, that there was no way of reconciling wearing a rainbow armband while captain of Liverpool and being paid by a club that grayed out the armband in advertising shoots.
Henderson lived in Manama, Bahrain’s capital, a 75-minute drive from training. It’s possible his family didn’t get along, which would at least make his decision to return explainable. And perhaps, however ridiculous his seeming, however distasteful his hypocrisy may seem, Henderson deserves some credit for being prepared to make himself look like a fool to end this misery.
The sad thing is that if Henderson had joined Ajax in the summer it would have looked like an interesting move. Gareth Southgate continued to single out Henderson throughout his time in Saudi Arabia, but the 33-year-old may feel the Eredivisie would serve as better preparation for this summer’s Euros. Ajax may not be what they used to be, but their name still has a sparkle. Playing in front of 53,000 fans at the Amsterdam Arena is undoubtedly a more attractive prospect than the fifth-full Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium.
Very few English players have played for Ajax in the professional era. For a long time there was only former Tottenham trainee Ray Clarke, who joined the team via Swindon, Mansfield and Sparta Rotterdam, scoring 26 goals as the Netherlands won the double in 1978-79. Chuba Akpom, signed from Middlesbrough last summer, is the only other first-team player on Ajax’s books, although they include 19-year-old goalkeeper Charlie Setford, who was born in Haarlem but played at youth level in England. In this sense, Henderson could seem like a true pioneer, someone ready to take the road less traveled.
The example of Dusan Tadic shows what can be achieved in the Netherlands with aging Premier League players, even if there is a strange feeling that Henderson is living his career in reverse: the classic model is to emerge as a young hopeful at Ajax, to move on. Go to Liverpool and enjoy European success and then join Sunderland when things get better.
But while it’s a promising move for Henderson, it’s very bad for the Pro League. It’s not just Henderson. Karim Benzema made his unhappiness public. There are grumblings from others. Renan Lodi is the only player transferred from Europe to a Saudi club so far this transfer window. If £30 million a year can’t cover a 33-year-old’s interest, perhaps no amount of money can.
The assumption was that the Saudi league was different from Chinese, Qatar and other fledgling tournaments because there was so much money available. Maybe this is just a flash in the pan and it will eventually succeed. However, by turning his back on a move that allegedly excited him, Henderson damaged not only his own reputation but also the reputation of the entire project.