- Jordan Henderson wanted to leave for free and threatened to stop playing
- He was also stripped of the captaincy ahead of their victory over Galatasaray
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Jordan Henderson has performed a dramatic U-turn on his demand to leave Ajax and will instead see out the rest of the season at the club, according to a new report.
The midfielder is now said to regret the bombshell ultimatum that saw him threaten not to play again if he was denied a move to Monaco this month.
Henderson, 34, had been told by Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder to ‘be a man’ and front up over his attempt to force through the switch and according to De Telegraaf, he quickly backtracked after Ajax’s 2-1 win over Galatasaray last night.
Despite being stripped of the captaincy by boss Francesco Farioli just hours before the Europa League match, Henderson played 77 minutes in Amsterdam.
After the final whistle, he is reported to have spoken to technical director Alex Kroes inside the dressing room and vowed to finish the campaign with Ajax.
As part of his apology, Henderson said he had grown to love the club and that he wanted to give his all to help them qualify for the Champions League again.
Jordan Henderson has backtracked on his bombshell demand to leave Ajax to join Monaco
Henderson was denied the move and vowed to see out the rest of the season in Amsterdam
However, just a matter of hours earlier, the veteran threatened to no longer play if he was denied a free transfer to Monaco, despite his contract running until 2026.
Kroes is said to have told Henderson that Ajax will not entertain a move this month, especially given they would not receive a fee, but talks may re-open next summer.
During the conversation between the two men, for which another board member was present, Henderson looked to explain his behaviour, reportedly explaining he had allowed his ‘head to run wild’ in a moment of madness before backtracking.
Henderson had been announced as the captain over the stadium speakers before last night’s game and also appeared as the skipper on the line-up sheet. But shortly before kick-off, it was decided goalkeeper Remko Pasveer would lead the side.
He notably missed the lap of honour to thank supporters at full-time. De Telegraaf claim that was the signal for Kroes to enter the dressing room to speak to Henderson.
Delivering a withering verdict during Ziggo Sport’s live coverage, Sneijder took aim at Henderson’s behaviour, saying: ‘Don’t be so difficult. You just play that match with the armband on and then you say, “Yeah guys, I don’t know yet.”
‘Something is going on. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.
‘Be a man and stand up. Right now you get all this speculation and you create unrest. It could have been much calmer if he had just worn the armband.’
Henderson reportedly threatened to stop playing for the club if he was denied the transfer
Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder (right) told the veteran midfielder to ‘be a man’ over the row
Henderson had reportedly agreed a deal with Monaco, who are currently third in Ligue 1
‘I find it very strange,’ Sneijder added. ‘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 enjoyed a trophy-laden 12-year spell at Liverpool, winning both the Premier League and the Champions League as club captain, before completing a move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.
But just six months later, he sealed a return to Europe with Ajax.
He has made 44 appearances for the club to date, scoring no goals, and was handed the captain’s armband just a matter of weeks after joining.
