Jordan Henderson begins training with Al-Ettifaq despite transfer not being officially announced
The English midfielder's move to the Saudi club has been criticised by LGBT community
Prior to the announcement of his move, Jordan Henderson was seen practising with his soon-to-be new Al-Ettifaq teammates.
The controversial transfer of the Liverpool captain to the Saudi Arabian club is about to be finalised after he and Steven Gerrard, a former Red, reached an agreement on a whopping £700,000-per-week contract.
Following the decision to accept a £12 million sum for his services, Henderson took a flight to Croatia on Wednesday to finish the procedures.
And the 33-year-old, who is about to leave Anfield after a 12-year stint, has already been seen engaging in some passing drills with his new squad.
In a now-deleted video that was making the rounds on social media, Henderson could be seen taking part in a rondo with other Al-Ettifaq players at the team's present base in central Europe.
Despite the fact that neither Al-Ettifaq nor Liverpool nor Henderson has officially confirmed his relocation to the Middle East, it is anticipated that they will do so shortly.
Prior to his contentious move to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is prohibited, Henderson had already received severe condemnation from Liverpool's LGBT supporters.
The Reds skipper has previously drawn accolades for his outspoken dedication to promoting football's LGBTQ+ community.
He gained notoriety for his encouraging tweet to Liverpool supporter Keith Spooner amid the Rainbow Laces initiative and received a nomination for 'Football Ally' at the LGBT+ Awards in 2021. In 2021, Henderson also offered his full backing to a supporter of LGBTQ+ England.
LGBT supporter group Kop Outs articulated their worries about his potential move to Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
They also criticised Gerrard for his 'participation in sportscasting after implementing Al-Ettifaq, including his admiration for former LA Galaxy partner Robbie Rogers, who came out as gay in 2013.
In Saudi Arabia, relationships between people of the same sex are forbidden, and rights for women are severely curtailed.
After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.