After accepting a managerial position in Saudi Arabia, Steven Gerrard might try to recruit Jordan Henderson, a former teammate from Liverpool, to the Middle East.
The legendary player from Liverpool has made a startling U-turn by taking over as Al-Ettifaq’s manager. He is the most recent of a long list of well-known athletes to join the Saudi Pro League. It happens despite the fact that the 43-year-old, who was fired as the manager of Aston Villa in October, said last month: “As we stand right now, I won’t be taking up the offer.”
But now that he has the position, he is reportedly looking at potential recruits and has Henderson on his list.
The 33-year-old’s career is nearing its end, but he still has two years left on his Anfield contract. Uncertainty surrounds whether he would think about joining the lucrative Saudi league, which now features some of the most well-known players in the game, like Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Henderson stated at the end of the previous season that he still had a couple more seasons at the highest level in him.
Henderson told Sky Sports, “I’ve got at least a good few years left in me, and I’m ready for a new challenge once more come next season.
To be honest, I still feel extremely fantastic physically. When you consider the modern athlete, the age gap for retirement seems to be steadily increasing, but I feel in good form.
“I watched the Champions League semi-final in the middle of the week, and you’ve got players like Modric, Benzema, and others playing at that high level at 37 and still looking really, really good physically.”
Another well-known name who is said to be on Gerrard’s radar, and possibly a more realistic target, is the 34-year-old Chelsea outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who only managed three goals for the Blues last season.
N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy, all former teammates at Chelsea, have already made the move to the lucrative league.
