Jordan Henderson has spoken for the first time about his decision to leave Liverpool for Al Ettifaq

In an interview with The Athletic’s Adam Crafton & David Ornstein, Henderson insisted he had not gone to Saudi Arabia for money, and that he chose to move on from Anfield because, after a meeting with Jürgen Klopp in pre-season, he didn’t feel wanted any more.

“And if I’m not playing, as anybody will know, especially the manager, that can be quite difficult for me and especially when I’ve been at a club for so long, I’ve captained the team for so long. Especially when England’s a big thing for me. You’ve got the Euros coming up.

“I’ve got very good relationships with Jurgen, with the owners of the club. That’ll be forever. What we’ve achieved together in the past 12 years has been incredible. But at the same time, it was hard for me to take that.

“If one of those people said to me, “Now we want you to stay”, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And I have to then think about what’s next for me in my career. Now, that’s not to say that they forced me out of the club or they were saying they wanted me to leave but at no point did I feel wanted by the club or anyone to stay.”

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