Brendan Rodgers defends ex-Liverpool star Jordan Henderson against ‘morality officers’ opposing Saudi transfer

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has defended former Liverpool colleague Jordan Henderson against 'morality officers' criticising his controversial move to Saudia Arabia this summer.

Henderson was one of many footballing stars to make the move to the Middle East this year as he joined Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq side to play alongside stars including Moussa Dembele and fellow former Red Georginio Wijnaldum.

The midfielder's decision to leave the Premier League for Saudi Arabia came under intense criticism given his outspoken allyship for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. Henderson regularly spoke out about the fact that 'football is for everyone', played an active role in Rainbow Laces campaigns and built a relationship with Liverpool LGBTQ+ supporters group Kop Out.

Supporters at Anfield condemned Henderson's decision to move to Al-Ettifaq, a country where same-sex relationships can be punishable by death.

Rodgers, who worked with the player at Liverpool between 2012 and 2015, has now spoken out against criticism for Henderson. He told talkSPORT: “It’s their profession, it’s their life so they have to do what’s best for them. There are so many morality officers around the world nowadays that are judging people.

“But Jordan I know extremely well and I know the love he had for Liverpool. He was at the stage of his career where he probably wasn’t going to be the first name on the team sheet anymore. At 32 years of age, he’s won absolutely everything.

“He probably fancied a different challenge and out of respect, it probably didn’t feel right for him being at another Premier League club. So to go abroad and take on a new challenge clearly suited him.

"It’s definitely something that makes players wobble because of the money that's talked about and what it can do for players and the legacy it can create for their families for years down the line. What makes [Saudi Arabia] dangerous is not only the money, they have a plan. The plan is attracting top players and looking to get top managers out there."

In an interview with The Athletic this week, Henderson tried to defend his decision to make the Saudi move and apologised that any supporters 'feel like that' with regard to opposing his move.

The midfielder claimed to 'have my values and beliefs' but stated that he would not wear a rainbow armband to be 'respectful of religion and culture' in Saudi Arabia.

Henderson said: "I didn’t know anything about it until it was out. And it’s hard for me to know and understand everything because it is part of the religion. So if I wear the rainbow armband, if that disrespects their religion, then that’s not right either. Everybody should be respectful of religion and culture. That’s what I think we’re all trying to fight for here in terms of inclusion and everything.

"You know, years ago, for instance, women or kids probably couldn’t play football, but now I’m over there and there’s loads of women and girls playing football, so slowly things can change. I can’t promise anything, but what I can do is sit here and say I have my values and beliefs. And I strongly believe that me playing in Saudi Arabia is a positive thing.

"I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone."