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Jordan Henderson said he is looking forward to facing Liverpool this season, but warned there will be "no friends" when he comes up against his former club for the first time.
The 35-year-old’s move to Brentford was confirmed on Tuesday, two years after his Anfield exit. Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq in the summer of 2023 but, after a disappointing half season in Saudi Arabia, signed for Ajax in January 2024.
The midfielder, who remains part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, left the Amsterdam club last week after the player and club agreed to mutually terminate his contract. Despite rumors of moves to France and Scotland this summer, a return to the Premier League now beckons for Henderson.
It will mean a first reunion with Liverpool since his departure, plus another chance to face Sunderland after its promotion back to the top flight. Henderson began his career with his hometown club before signing for Liverpool in 2011.
While he’s looking forward to facing both teams, Henderson added that any sentiment will evaporate the moment the referee’s whistle blows.
“Both clubs mean a lot to me,” the ex-Liverpool skipper told Brentford’s website. “Obviously, I came through at Sunderland and played for the first team for a couple of years.
“I owe a lot to them for my development as a player. And then Liverpool as well was a huge part of my life.
“I was there for 12 years, an incredible club; I loved every minute of it. I owe all that to them as well.
“But when we’re playing against them, there are no friends, we know that in football, and we’ll be doing everything that we can to try and win.”
At Brentford, Henderson has teamed up with ex-Liverpool colleagues Caoimhin Kelleher, Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho, which he admits will help his transition.
“Caoimhin isn’t in [training] yet, but I’ve spoken to Sepp and Fab a bit, along with the rest of the lads. It’s nice to have a few familiar faces, for sure.
“They’re great lads that I got on really well with at Liverpool, so that’s been nice for us to settle in.”
On his decision to join Brentford, Henderson added: “I’m delighted that I’m here; I’m very excited to get started and get going.
“I’ve always had huge admiration for the club and what they’ve achieved over the last few years, in particular, how they’ve grown as a club.
“I’ve been told how organised and well run the club is, it’s very family-oriented, which I think is very important.
“When I spoke to Phil Giles, Lee Dykes and Keith [Andrews], I just had a really good feeling about everything. As soon as I had that conversation, it was clear for me that I wanted to come here and it was an easy decision in the end.
“When I spoke to Keith a few times, he was very good and very honest, and he’s excited to get started as well.
“He was another big reason why I wanted to come and try to help the club keep moving forward.”
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