British soccer star apologizes to LGBTQ community for short-lived Saudi transfer
Jordan Henderson apologized Friday to the LGBTQ community that fiercely criticized his transfer from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, a day after turning his back on his lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.
AMSTERDAM — Jordan Henderson apologized Friday to the LGBTQ community that fiercely criticized his transfer from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, a day after turning his back on his lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.
“If any people from that community feel let down or hurt, I apologize, as I did six months ago,” he told reporters at the Johan Cruyff Arena as he was introduced as Ajax’s new midfielder. “That was never my intention.”
Henderson’s decision to play in Saudi sparked a backlash from the LGBTQ community in England, where he had demonstrated support for inclusivity by wearing rainbow-colored laces as part of an initiative by LGBTQ campaign group Stonewall. Shortly after his move, he was booed by England fans at Wembley when he was substituted during a friendly match against Australia.
He now plays for a club based in Amsterdam, a city long known as a bastion of tolerance for the LGBTQ community.
Asked if he regretted moving to the Saudi league, Henderson was evasive.
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