Ajax fans show their support to Jordan Henderson as they serenade him at open training – despite reports of ill-feeling after failed move away
Ajax fans showed their support towards Jordan Henderson at an open training session on Saturday, despite him recently demanding to leave the club.
Last month, the 34-year-old refused to play for them again, as he sought a move away from the Netherlands.
Henderson came under heavy fire from Dutch media critics and fans alike, with former Ajax player Wesley Sneijder telling him to ‘be a man and stand up’ to address the recent rumours.
However, Ajax fans showed out in full voice during their team’s open training session and were heard chanting Henderson’s name while the players clapped the fans in attendance at the end.
Henderson appeared on the verge of a move to Monaco before Ajax blocked the transfer, with manager Francesco Farioli seeing his skipper as a crucial piece in the Dutch giants’ push for Champions League football.
Henderson responded to this by issuing the club an ultimatum, with De Telegraaf claiming he demanded to be allowed to leave for free or he would not play for Ajax again, despite being under contract until 2026.
Ajax fans showed their support towards Jordan Henderson in an open training session today
This comes after he reportedly told Ajax to let him go or he would not play for the club again
Henderson will not leave Ajax this window, despite him reportedly agreeing terms with Monaco
Rather than give in to his wishes, the hierarchy dug their feet in as technical director Alex Kroes and chief executive Meno Geelen informed him personally that Ajax would not sanction any move away before deadline day on Monday.
Farioli then stripped Henderson of the captaincy, just 30 minutes prior to kick-off of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Galatasaray.
Henderson nevertheless went on to play 77 minutes in Amsterdam and after the final whistle, he was reported to have regretted his actions, speaking to Kroes inside the dressing room and vowing to finish the campaign with Ajax.
Sneijder urged Henderson to ‘get in front of the camera’ to address the rampant speculation.
‘Be a man and stand up,’ he said. ‘Right now you get all this speculation and you create unrest. It could have been much calmer if he had just worn the armband.
‘I find it very strange. I don’t think UEFA had even figured it out yet.
‘So there must have been some kind of switch at the last moment. That does raise questions. I don’t know if we’ll hear an explanation from Francesco Farioli, because he probably won’t give an answer. But I find it strange.
‘I think if you choose a different captain, you shouldn’t field Henderson either.’
Henderson appeared to have his captaincy removed by Ajax against Galatasaray on Thursday
Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder (right) said that the midfielder must publicly address the row
After 12 years with Liverpool, Henderson has seen more lows than highs in his football ventures away from Merseyside.
He left the Reds in summer 2023 to link up with former team-mate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq, who the latter managed at the time, for a reported transfer fee of £12million.
However, in January 2024, Henderson left after it was mutually agreed for his contract to be terminated.
Shortly after, he joined Ajax as a free agent after an unsuccessful tenure with the Saudi side.
