Carragher insists ‘brilliant’ player left Liverpool too soon – ‘He made a big mistake’ | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher insists Jordan Henderson “made a big mistake leaving Liverpool” and is missing out on a “big send-off” like Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah are about to enjoy at Anfield.

Henderson left the club in the summer of 2023 after Jurgen Klopp told him he could no longer promise he would be playing week in, week out.

A faulty moral compass took Henderson to Al-Ettifaq before he returned to the Premier League via Ajax, and he’s impressed for Brentford through his displays under Keith Andrews this term.

The 35-year-old is under contract for another year at Brentford, who remain very much in the hunt for European football next season as they enjoy a outstanding season following Thomas Frank’s departure for Tottenham last summer.

And as Liverpool face an exodus of experience from their squad, with Alisson Becker now looking likely to follow Robertson and Salah out of the door at the end of the season, Carragher insists Henderson shouldn’t have left when he did.

The Sky Sports pundit told the Zac Djellab podcast: “When I retired and Steven Gerrard left the club, it was, ‘Who is going to be captain?’ Liverpool fans were going nuts that Jordan Henderson was the captain; I was defending him constantly. Don’t tell me who shouldn’t be captain, but who should!

“It was right that he was captain. He was a brilliant captain, a great lad, a brilliant player for Liverpool. I still don’t think he should have left Liverpool. He should still be at Liverpool now.”

A big mistake

“I think he made a big mistake leaving Liverpool. He missed out on another league title. Obviously he went to Saudi Arabia and then Ajax and he’s at Brentford now.

“He’s doing well but he shouldn’t have left Liverpool. I think he made a mistake. It was because Jurgen Klopp said he was bringing in midfield players and he said he wasn’t going to play every week. What [Wataru] Endo has done at Liverpool, Jordan Henderson is a better player; he could have done that, and he’d have picked up another league title.

“I think he made a big mistake there, and what he missed out on is what Mo Salah and Andy Robertson will get in a few weeks, a big send-off from the Anfield crowd. Jordan Henderson deserved that. Fantastic player, fantastic lad.”