Ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson involved in epic 25-minute penalty shootout with Ajax
Liverpool FC news: The former skipper was involved in an incredible game for Ajax.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was involved in a 25-minute penalty shootout as Ajax qualified for the Europa League.
The Dutch side were forced into the Europa League qualifying rounds in order to enter the competition following their fifth-placed finish in the Eredivisie last season. First, it led them into a two-legged tie with Serbian side FK Vojvodina where they triumphed 4-1 on aggregate. This set them up to face Greek side Panathinaikos.
A narrow one-goal victory in Greece made them favourites for the return leg at the Amsterdam Arena but the away side cancelled out the first leg victory with a repeat score-line - which saw both sides head to penalties. What followed was extraordinary; the 25-minute shootout saw Henderson net during a 13-12 victory - which included nine missed penalties.
While Brian Brobbey could have stolen the headlines for all the wrong reasons when he fired his penalty excruciatingly high over the bar, it was the 40-year-old Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer who was the hero. He saved five penalties in a brilliant showing to carry his side into the second-tier European competition.
Across his Liverpool career, there were 15 shootouts across Henderson’s time at the club spanning 2012-2023. Funnily enough, he wasn’t called upon to take a penalty in any of those shootouts. The Reds boasted a strong record winning 10 and losing five.
Henderson is already five games into the new campaign, having captained and played every minute of their European qualifying games as well as once off the bench in the league. He played 12 times after joining in January from Al-Ettifaq before opting to terminate his deal and move to Holland.
However, despite his short career at the club so far, reports had claimed that the club may have to sell big wage players following their lack of European revenue from their Champions League absence. That could change given their qualification for the Europa League and with a deal in place until 2026, he will want to make his mark on the club before then.