Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has bid farewell to the club as he closes in on a move to Al-Ettifaq.
The 33-year-old will bring to an end a 12-year spell at Anfield, in which he won every single major club honour, when his move to the Saudi Pro League club is confirmed.
“It’s hard to put these last 12 years into words and it’s even harder to say goodbye. I will always be a Red. Until the day I die,” he posted on Instagram.
“Thank you for everything. You’ll never walk alone.”
He added in a video accompanying his post: “I’m in the (Liverpool) dressing room for the last time so, as you can imagine, it is very emotional.
“I need to somehow explain what these last 12 years have meant for me and my family.
“Being made the captain of Liverpool Football Club was one the greatest honours of my life.
“From the day the armband was passed to me I did everything I could to behave like a Liverpool captain should.
“Thank you for allowing me to be part of your club, thank you for your support in good time and bad.”
Henderson’s move to the Middle East – where he will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as manager – has been in the pipeline for several weeks but on Wednesday a fan posted a video on social media of him training with his new club in Croatia.
Despite the very public interest in the England international he flew out to Liverpool’s training camp in Germany 11 days ago, although he did not play in either of their friendlies out there after an offer of an initial £12million was accepted.
In contrast, fellow midfielder Fabinho was left at home as a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad arrived hours before they were due to travel.
The Brazil international is still awaiting the conclusion of the deal but that is expected to go through this week.
Henderson’s decision to move to Saudi Arabia has come in for criticism after his staunch support for the LGBT+ community and Rainbow Laces Premier League initiative.
Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, while the state stands accused of a host of other abuses including placing harsh restrictions on women’s rights and the right to political protest.
“Jordan Henderson is of course free to play for whoever he chooses, but we would urge him to examine Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and be prepared to speak out about human rights violations in the country,” Amnesty’s UK economic affairs director Peter Frankental told the PA news agency last week.
Pride in Football, a network of LGBT+ fan groups, said in a statement: “When you see someone who has been an ally so publicly transfer to a club in a country where LGBT+ people are attacked and imprisoned, it is disappointing.
“Good luck in Saudi Arabia Jordan, but you have lost the respect of so many people who valued you, and trusted you.”
Liverpool’s own LGBT+ fans group Kop Outs were even more damning, saying: “Given choices he has recently made, Kop Outs doubt & question if Henderson was ever an actual ally.”
While Al-Ettifaq wait to confirm Henderson’s arrival they have signed Scotland international Jack Hendry’s from from Club Brugges and former Celtic forward Moussa Dembele.
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