Jordan Henderson has revealed that his long-held admiration for Brentford and their remarkable recent rise played a factor in his decision to join the Bees.
The west London club confirmed the signing of the former Liverpool captain on a free transfer on Tuesday following the termination of his contract with Ajax.
Henderson, described by Bees boss Keith Andrews as ‘one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years’ will fill the void left by the loss of their captain and first-choice defensive-midfielder Christian Norgaard to Arsenal last week.
‘I’ve always had huge admiration for the club,’ said the 35-year-old. ‘And what they’ve achieved over the last few years, in particular, how they’ve grown as a club.’
Henderson, who has agreed a two year contract, also spoke highly of new boss Andrews as he embarks on his first head coaching role.
‘When I spoke to Keith a few times, he was very good and very honest, and he’s excited to get started as well,’ Henderson added.
Jordan Henderson has revealed why he decided to return to the Premier League with Brentford
The 35-year-old spoke of his long-held admiration for the club and their remarkable recent rise
Brentford boss Keith Andrew (above), who has taken over in west London from Thomas Frank, described Henderson as ‘one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years’
The Bees have won the race to bring Henderson back to the Premier League, despite interest in his services from across Europe.
Brentford face a huge rebuilding period this summer, having already lost their captain and manager after Thomas Frank also moved to north London, joining Norgaard’s new arch-rivals Tottenham to replace Ange Postecoglou.
Similarly, they could also lose star man Bryan Mbeumo, who has twice been the subject of hefty bids by Manchester United.
Frank has been replaced by Andrews, who will be keen to add a player with the experience of Henderson into his dressing-room.
In a statement on the club’s website, Andrews expressed his joy at recruiting a player with the qualities of the England international and acknowledged the side’s need to fill the void left by experienced stars leaving the Gtech.
‘We’ve got a pretty young squad, overall, and we’ve got a lot of club experience, which is really important, with the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Ethan Pinnock and Josh Dasilva, who is still at the club doing rehab,’ said Andrews.
‘But what Jordan will bring is that he has been one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years. He’s been at the forefront of driving for titles and Champions Leagues at a fantastic football club.
‘He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession – that’s the exact way we want to be as a football club.
The 35-year-old will be desperate to make sure he is in England’s squad for the World Cup
Henderson enjoyed a trophy-laden 12 years in the Premier League with former club Liverpool
‘He will drive standards and be a brilliant addition to the squad.’
Henderson’s Premier League return comes almost two years to the day since his high-profile move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, having brought an end to his trophy-laden 12-year stay at Liverpool.
With the Reds, the former Sunderland midfielder lifted a Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, European Super Cup and two Carabao Cups, as well as the Community Shield.
