Ajax has confirmed the departure of Jordan Henderson on Thursday. The midfielder had one year left on his contract in Amsterdam, but the club has cooperated in terminating his contract.
The 35-year-old Henderson came over from Al-Ettifaq from Saudi Arabia on a free transfer in January 2024. The 84-time English international played 57 official matches for Ajax. The veteran seems to be on his way to his old love Sunderland.
“Jordan was a true leader for us, both on and off the field,” says technical director Alex Kroes on the Ajax website. According to Kroes, Henderson has meant a lot to Ajax in the past year and a half.
“He is an international top footballer who, with his mentality and leadership qualities, has made a major contribution to reaching the Champions League and to the further development of the top sports culture at Ajax.”
Henderson did not win any prizes with Ajax. The Amsterdammers were close to the national title last season, but in the final weeks, trainer Francesco Farioli’s team lost the lead to competitor PSV.
Henderson regrets the lack of prizes
Henderson is full of praise for Ajax. “It was an honor to be allowed to play for this club. It was an even greater privilege to be captain. It is just a shame that we could not achieve more successes for the fantastic supporters.”
Henderson feels that it is not appropriate to tell his story in detail now due to the “heartbreaking loss” of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva.
“But I fully realize that I owe this club, my teammates and the supporters a more extensive and personal thank you. I will of course do that at a time that feels better. For now, I would like to thank the club again.”