What sparked Jordan Henderson heated press conference argument as ex-Liverpool man makes 'truth' claim
Jordan Henderson hit back at reporters during his latest press conference amid Ajax exit rumours.
Jordan Henderson’s future is up in the air once again following recent reports that he could be on the move to his third club since leaving Liverpool. A tense press conference between the former Reds captain and reporters then unfolded, following Ajax’s win over Feyenoord on Sunday.
Last week, it was reported that AS Monaco were ‘closing in’ on a deal to sign the midfielder on a permanent move from Ajax this window. Fabrizio Romano claimed that an agreement had been ‘almost agreed’ between the two parties, with a year-and-a-half contract on the table. However, the deal collapsed just a matter of days later.
Amid these rumours, Henderson has been quizzed over his future and his current situation in Amsterdam. The 34-year-old was caught up in a heated argument with reporters over the weekend. Addressing comments about his future, Henderson described some reports as ‘bang out of order’ and stressed how his family have been subject to reading ‘nonsense’ posted in the media from local journalists.
What did Jordan Henderson say during his press conference?
A journalist told Henderson that the media had been informed by the Ajax coach that the England international ‘wanted to go to Monaco’ as he had received a ‘big offer’ from the Ligue 1 side. Henderson hit back, citing this is ‘not true’ and that he wouldn’t be ‘giving details’ on the situation.
When asked if Ajax wanted to sell him, the midfielder, visibly irritated replied: “Well, they were negotiating [with Monaco], so I would imagine they did. They were negotiating a fee but again, it’s not about the details, I’m not giving you details. I know the truth, I know what happened, I’m not here to give you details. Nobody convinced us to stay.”
Henderson was also quizzed about his ‘behaviour’ during Ajax’s clash with Galatasaray in the Europa League last Thursday. According to local outlet De Telegraaf, Henderson gave Ajax the ultimatum of being allowed to leave for Monaco on a free, or never play for the Dutch side again.
Henderson also did not walk out with the captain’s armband on for the Galatasaray match. This is something he addressed directly during the press conference.
“The reason I didn’t wear the armband was because of the information I received before the game. I still wanted to play for the team, I said to the manager ‘if you need us to play, I’ll play’. But I didn’t feel comfortable being captain of the team because of what was going on before the game and what was being said. I didn’t know if I was going to be here after the game, to be honest.
“We had conversations after the game, we had conversations the day after, and we came to the conclusion that the best thing for everyone is that I stay until the end of the season.”
Jordan Henderson defends himself against comments in media
Henderson also defended comments that he didn’t celebrate with the team when they scored two goals against Galatasaray. Correcting the reporter and advising them to watch the clips back, the midfielder then hit out at some of the stories about him in the media.
“Now don’t get us wrong, I wasn’t myself Thursday, because there was a lot of emotions going on. I think 99 percent of people, if they knew the inside information, wouldn’t have played the game, really.
“But yet, people in this room are questioning my professionalism and me as a person. I think it’s bang out of order. I’ve got a family. I can deal with it, I’ve had a lot worse than this in my career, but I’ve got a family — a wife, kids, mum, dad, who read nonsense in the media from you guys. I think it’s bang out of order. Ninety-nine percent was nonsense.
“The only way the move even came about was because of the situation the club’s in, and that’s how far in detail I have to go. I think we all know the financial problems the club have got, how they need to get rid of top earners or make money back financially. I think that’s been a discussion ever since I walked through the door. I keep hearing it every other month that I’m getting paid too much.
“And then when the opportunity comes for them to actually do it, then I get the blame and you say that I’m unprofessional and saying I’m not playing, I’m not doing this, I’m not doing that. It’s totally untrue. So I know a few people in this room might get their sources from certain people, but it’s untrue.”