We're busy signing players over here! I forgot about you lot!Seriously?
Jordan Henderson | New Athletic Interview: I strongly believe that me playing in Saudi Arabia is a positive thing
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Nah, just expecting him to match his actions to his comments. A hypocrite is a hypocrite and he deserves to be called out for it. He made himself the poster child for protests in Qatar and was happy to soak up the adulation it brought him so of course he deserves to be called out for his obvious lack of principle.
What an absolutely horrific load of shite, fair play to you
.It's like this, if you're outspoken about something - like all the lads on this site were about Qatar. And then you do a 180 and start supporting it, because it benefits you personally. - like @Wumminator exposed a bunch of lads doing with Qatar, you're a gowl. In that case, you deserve all the ridicule you get.
For Henderson it's honestly a bit more understandable because he's getting 700k a week untaxed. As oppose to maybe, potentially, a few extra goals for the football team you support (probably not). It's still not though because he soaked up all that juicy adulation for being an ally before
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Saudi must know about the player's stance on things, they could easily choose another. They're also inviting a lot of Western influence in general.
It's money but also a chance to break the barriers between people a bit. Ostracize I don't think is the answer.
It's money but also a chance to break the barriers between people a bit. Ostracize I don't think is the answer.
What a hypocrite he will show himself to be if he accepts this move. Disgraceful. Imagine if this was an English United player who had just turned 33, the English media would have a field day. But not for their precious darlings Liverpool. And to think BBC Match of the day had him in their top 10 captains of the PL era The bias towards that shower is laughable.
The bias towards that shower is laughable.Let’s all jump on the Saudi bandwagonnnn
You have it just about right.
And Elliot.
That's pretty much it.
He's done enough there, he can piss off now and retire in comfort. Hopefully he earns so much money we never even have to endure him being a pundit, or even worse a co-commentator.
He’s really let himself down by doing this.
For £700k a week every one of us would put our beliefs to the side and be shown for hypocrites. The sad reality is, everyone has a price. It’s just everyone’s price is different.
I think what some of you are not considering is that Henderson going to play in the Saudi League is giving it more legitimacy and the whole project as a result. It's different from you or I going there to work (not that I would, no matter how much you seem convinced 'everyone' would go for the money).
I guess I get it though. Qatar have waved the possibility of a more successful Manchester United in front of your nose, so now to protect the idea of that being fine, you need to defend all actions that may be considered helping these sportswashing (ugh) projects. Fair enough...kinda.
But with Henderson, if he really did care about LGBT rights, he wouldn't go out there.
I guess I get it though. Qatar have waved the possibility of a more successful Manchester United in front of your nose, so now to protect the idea of that being fine, you need to defend all actions that may be considered helping these sportswashing (ugh) projects. Fair enough...kinda.
But with Henderson, if he really did care about LGBT rights, he wouldn't go out there.
No one will understand him in the team, they're all Arab speaking people, anyone else see the Stevie G video where no one has a clue what he is saying
I am not aware of what Henderson really said or what brand he built for himself based on it. Unless he said he would never play in SA or Qatar I don’t get the hypocrisy comments. Also he is already a very successful Liverpool captain, so to what extent did he really further build his brand?
He can still support human rights and at the same time play in SA. You know like club captains / clubs wearing LGBT armband/displaying LGBT flag on social media and at the same time being owned by ME states/having sponsors from ME/doing transfers with ME owned clubs, etc.
In my opinion he would be wrong if football in general had nothing to do with those regimes. But when clubs are owned by them, other clubs are sponsored by them, Mbappe and Haaland are idolised worldwide and play for them, etc. then why does the buck stop with (almost) retired players?
I said the same when there was the outrage about Beckham’s sponsorship/ambassador deal with Qatar. Yes footballers are rich, but they are hardly billionaires. Qatar/SA are offering them about 1/3 of those players’ total wealth. That’s a hell of money even for rich footballers.
Ban all state ownership and then yes, I will call out footballers playing in those states as well.
He can still support human rights and at the same time play in SA. You know like club captains / clubs wearing LGBT armband/displaying LGBT flag on social media and at the same time being owned by ME states/having sponsors from ME/doing transfers with ME owned clubs, etc.
In my opinion he would be wrong if football in general had nothing to do with those regimes. But when clubs are owned by them, other clubs are sponsored by them, Mbappe and Haaland are idolised worldwide and play for them, etc. then why does the buck stop with (almost) retired players?
I said the same when there was the outrage about Beckham’s sponsorship/ambassador deal with Qatar. Yes footballers are rich, but they are hardly billionaires. Qatar/SA are offering them about 1/3 of those players’ total wealth. That’s a hell of money even for rich footballers.
Ban all state ownership and then yes, I will call out footballers playing in those states as well.
Elliot is a very good player. They have the basis of a good midfield on the offensive side. If Fabinho goes, they need to find a proper replacement for him, because those young lads and MacAllister/Szoboszlai aren't going to have the defensive nous to sit, hold, foul and get away with it like he does.
6 years later this first post still nails it. The interesting test will be when Henderson has the chance to speak out in favor of LGBT rights within Saudi. Hopefully they teach a crash course in what rights a person does not have within the kingdom. I can’t see all these thick footballers not getting into trouble - serious trouble - over there eventually.
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I think the truth here is that Henderson cares enough about LGBT advocacy to speak up about it more than other players. He does not care enough about LGBT rights to refuse a massive windfall when said windfall is offered with the condition that he play football in a country where being LGBT is illegal.
Does this make him a hypocrite? At least partially, yes. But as @bosnian_red and likely others have pointed out, I doubt he ever claimed that LGBT advocacy was so important to him that he would never take an absurd amount of money to play in Saudi or a similar country. It's not like he refused to take part in the Qatar World Cup or anything.
Does this make him a hypocrite? At least partially, yes. But as @bosnian_red and likely others have pointed out, I doubt he ever claimed that LGBT advocacy was so important to him that he would never take an absurd amount of money to play in Saudi or a similar country. It's not like he refused to take part in the Qatar World Cup or anything.
Liverpool are lucky feckers. They’re about to get 40 million for Fabinho, who went off a cliff last year, and I guess 25+ million for Henderson, who isn’t good enough. Having already revamped their midfield, they can replace one of those two and maybe recruit for their defence.
Klopp must be delighted that Henderson didn’t really mean all that stuff he used to say about LGBTQ+!
Klopp must be delighted that Henderson didn’t really mean all that stuff he used to say about LGBTQ+!
No, but you can't say your an LGBT ally, and then receive a fat paycheck from people who persecute anything related to LGBT.
He is an hypocrite, as most rich people are.
Posturing on social media is the easiest thing to do.
You guys need someone who will just sit behind. Lavia isn't really that yet, though could develop into it. Can see you getting amrabat as he's not even 30m and can do it to a good level.
Unless he said nobody should play in countries that discriminate against the LGBTQ community he's not a hypocrite. He simply doesn't fit your definition of an ally. This is such a nothing burger.
Sorry, but he was the one constantly posturing on social media as LGBT ally, and then he goes to Saudia Arabia, to get paid by very rich homophobes.
Let's call what he is, an hypocrite.
No need to sugar coat it with " but, he never say don't play in homophobe countries". Please, he is literally about to receive a big fat paycheck by wealthy homophobes, after he is posturing on social media about LGBT rights.
Nobody would call him an hypocrite if he wasn't posturing on social media like he did.
Watafaqi have two world class leaders now. The real question is will they clash.
That's a very narrow definition of the word "hypocrite".
If someone was a massive advocate for gun control then went and worked for the NRA because they payed so well I'd consider them a hypocrite.
They don't need to specifically come out and say "anyone who works for the NRA is evil" before working for them to fit that description.
Paid*
We assume that players actually care about the social issues they speak up about, but for all we know it's the just their PR teams.
I think in principle we shouldn't blame anyone for trying to secure their future. A lot of people work for evil corporates and wouldn't hesitate to move to KSA if the money is the right. Having said that, having some players, who are already rich, refusing to play there would have been great as a matter of principle against the human right violations there. Talk is cheap and that's all they do, but most don't really care and we're naive to expect them to.
I think in principle we shouldn't blame anyone for trying to secure their future. A lot of people work for evil corporates and wouldn't hesitate to move to KSA if the money is the right. Having said that, having some players, who are already rich, refusing to play there would have been great as a matter of principle against the human right violations there. Talk is cheap and that's all they do, but most don't really care and we're naive to expect them to.
Henderson in 25 Mar 2022 described Qatar’s record of human rights abuses as “shocking, disappointing and horrendous” “When we were given the briefing, which was really important, it was quite shocking and disappointing,” said the Liverpool captain, It’s horrendous really when you look at some of the issues that are currently happening and have been happening over there. As a team (England) we’re just sort of digesting that, coming up with ideas of what we want to do going forward because it’s an opportunity to maybe shine a light on the issues and use our platforms to make change for the better" July 2023 Agent…." Jordan, Saudi's are just of the phone" Henderson " Show me the MONEY !!!!"
Secure his kids future?
Henderson is a multi-millionaire right now. His great great grandchildren are set for life if he invests the money well.
If we were talking about someone playing in conference football, sure. But it amuses me when people talk about footballers making more in a week than most people do in a year, needing to make a move to "Secure their kids future".
I mean Henderson can do as he likes and people are free to comment. But let's not pretend his family will be on welfare if he doesn't take this contract.
So you know all about his finances then? What’s his monthly spend on the lifestyle him and his family currently live? Do you think bills go away when you retire at 35?
It amuses me when people think that just because someone made a few million they’re able to retire at 35 and just move back to the council estate they grew up on.
“The guy just wants to secure his family” and “He isn’t really a hypocrite”.
The guy’s apparently worth 25m and currently has two years left on his 200k/week contract with Liverpool. And nobody has ever claimed he can never work again after his football career is over.
He also said the following about wearing rainbow laces less than a year ago:
“This is always an occasion that makes me especially proud to be club captain because I could not be stronger in my belief that the values we are celebrating – unity, togetherness, inclusion – could not be more in keeping with those of our club and our city.
“I have regularly worn rainbow laces and today will be no exception because this kind of visible support can only have a positive impact. It also sends the powerful message that football is for everyone and the more of us who can take this message back into our homes, workplaces and daily lives the better.
“The more we can understand, the more we can learn and the more we can stand together on issues like this, the more we will move towards the kind of inclusive society that is more welcoming of everyone.”
But sure, not a greedy hypocrite.
The guy’s apparently worth 25m and currently has two years left on his 200k/week contract with Liverpool. And nobody has ever claimed he can never work again after his football career is over.
He also said the following about wearing rainbow laces less than a year ago:
“This is always an occasion that makes me especially proud to be club captain because I could not be stronger in my belief that the values we are celebrating – unity, togetherness, inclusion – could not be more in keeping with those of our club and our city.
“I have regularly worn rainbow laces and today will be no exception because this kind of visible support can only have a positive impact. It also sends the powerful message that football is for everyone and the more of us who can take this message back into our homes, workplaces and daily lives the better.
“The more we can understand, the more we can learn and the more we can stand together on issues like this, the more we will move towards the kind of inclusive society that is more welcoming of everyone.”
But sure, not a greedy hypocrite.
Wish the Saudis could give me a few million so I could take care of my kids' kids.
How can anyone consider paying him 700k a week. He’s awful. It’s Jordan Henderson! Not Lionel Messi.
Saudi’s offer to Messi was something crazy like 500M a year, which is what, 9-10M a week? So yeah it’s clear that they do not think Henderson is Messi
It’s also clear that they don’t think it’s HendersonSaudi’s offer to Messi was something crazy like 500M a year, which is what, 9-10M a week? So yeah it’s clear that they do not think Henderson is Messi
He gone
I think his future was already extremely secure to be honest. Is it not possible that this is an act of greed?
Incredible how quickly he’s destroyed his legacy amongst the fans. Surreal exit, out out the side door with no fanfare. Good deal for the club at least I suppose.
See, Harry, it’s not that bad out in Saudi if Jordan Hendersons going
*nudge nudge wink wink wink wink*
*nudge nudge wink wink wink wink*