Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson admits he “couldn’t watch the Reds play” after his “really difficult” departure from the club.
Henderson surprisingly left Anfield in the summer of 2023 after being told by Jurgen Klopp that he would no longer be a regular starter.
It ended 12 great years at the club for the midfielder, who captained Liverpool to both Champions League and Premier League success.
• READ: Jurgen Klopp explains why Jordan Henderson left – “That’s why it was better that he moved on”
Speaking to reporters, via the Liverpool echoHenderson was brutally honest about his departure two years ago, even likening it to a ‘breakup’.
“It was a very difficult period when I left Liverpool, I was there for a long period, 12 years,” said Henderson.
“Leaving Liverpool itself was huge and very difficult and at any point it was going to be difficult because it had been my life for so long and then it’s just over… so I struggled with it for a period afterwards.
“No, I couldn’t watch many games, I certainly couldn’t watch Liverpool. I didn’t watch a lot of Premier League stuff at the time… I probably chose the right place for that, I was half way around the world!”
“Yes, it was tough, but when you left Liverpool because I was there for so long because I was so attached and I dedicated a big part of my life there, when I left I found it very difficult and I think whatever I did or wherever I went.
“I don’t know what it felt like, it felt like a breakup, it was just difficult and I think if you asked a lot of players when they left a club, not just Liverpool, but when you’ve been at a club for so long and you have that attachment to them, whether you retire or leave.
“I think that was hard for a while, but over time things change, you move on, but I would say that was probably the hardest time.”
It was a shame to see Henderson leave Liverpool in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, with his decision to move to Saudi Arabia also criticized.
The 35-year-old will reunite with his former club later this month, with the Premier League champions traveling to Brentford on October 25.
Henderson has settled in well in west London and has become a popular player, and while there will be some pleasantries with his old team-mates before the match, there will be no more pleasantries once the match gets underway.
There will certainly be a lot of heat towards him from the traveling Liverpool fans given the service he has provided over such a long period.
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