Xuenou > Sports > Jordan Henderson called out over his gay pals plea after £700k-a-week Saudi move
Jordan Henderson called out over his gay pals plea after £700k-a-week Saudi move
Jordan Henderson called out over his gay pals plea after £700k-a-week Saudi move,Former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton star Thomas Hitzlsperger has criticised Jordan Henderson following his move to Saudi Arabia, where he'll reportedly be paid around £700,000 a week

Jordan Henderson called out over his gay pals plea after £700k-a-week Saudi move

German footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger has hit out at Jordan Henderson following the 33-year-old's multimillion pound move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

Hitzlsperger, who in 2014 became the first and so far only Premier League star past or present to come out as gay, savaged the now ex-Liverpool skipper on Twitter, declaring his brand to be "dead" as a result of the transfer.

Henderson voiced support for LGBTQ+ causes countless times over his career and spearheaded a number of on-field campaigns such as Rainbow Laces, but Hitzlsperger says his decision to move to a country where homosexuality is illegal proves he was never a "genuine" ally of the community.

"So Jordan Henderson finally gets his move to [Saudi Arabia]. Fair play to him, he can play wherever he wants to play," the 41-year-old tweeted.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk reacts to 'legend' Jordan Henderson quitting Liverpool for Saudi Arabia

"Curious to know though how the new brand JH will look like. The old one is dead! I did believe for a while that his support for the [rainbow emoji] community would be genuine. Silly me."

He then unearthed comments Henderson made back in 2019 when asked about playing for England at the Qatar World Cup, that read: "The idea that anyone I love or care about wouldn't feel safe or comfortable coming to watch me play if they were part of the LGBT community makes me wonder what world we live in."

"This says it all," Hitzlsperger tweeted. "[His] gay mates are not safe if they want to watch him live. No one forced him to support the [rainbow emoji] community. He chose to. Why??? Doesn’t make sense to me anymore."

What do you make of Hitzlsperger's tweets? Let us know in the comments section below.

Henderson's move to Al-Ettifaq was confirmed on Thursday
Henderson's move to Al-Ettifaq was confirmed on Thursday (Image: Twitter@https://twitter.com/Ettifaq_EN)
Hitzlsperger says he questions whether Henderson was ever a genuine ally of the LGBTQ+ community
Hitzlsperger says he questions whether Henderson was ever a genuine ally of the LGBTQ+ community (Image: TIM EASTHOPE)
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    Henderson has linked up with former Liverpool team-mate Steve Gerrard, who is Al-Ettifaq boss

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    He then joined Lazio in 2009 before returning to England with West Ham in 2010 before seeing his career out with spells at Wolfsburg and Everton.

    Four months after hanging up his boots, he officially came out as gay, becoming arguably the most high-profile footballer in history to do so.