Former Celtic Defender Jack Hendry Makes Surprise Contract U-Turn | OneFootball

Jack Hendry’s Saudi Arabia future has taken a sharp twist – the former Celtic defender who was tipped to walk away for nothing now appears set to stay, and the story of how he got here is worth telling properly.

As reported by 67HailHail on X, Jack Hendry has made a surprise U-turn on his contract situation at Al-Ettifaq, with the 31-year-old now looking likely to remain in the Saudi Pro League rather than depart as a free agent this summer. This reversal comes after a period of notably conflicting reports – with BBC Sport initially suggesting he would extend his deal, then journalist Ben Jacobs briefing that he was set to leave for nothing, with a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal waiting in the wings.

The backdrop matters here. Hendry joined Al-Ettifaq in July 2023, reuniting with former Celtic teammate Moussa Dembélé under Steven Gerrard’s management. His contract was estimated to be running at around €33,000 per week gross – solid Saudi Pro League money for a player who, let’s not forget, left Parkhead having made just 27 competitive appearances and one goal in our colours.

What happened between Celtic and Al-Ettifaq is a career arc that Scottish football should study more honestly. Hendry arrived from Dundee in January 2018 on deadline day – a Brendan Rodgers signing that never really clicked. He struggled for form and opportunity, and eventually found his way to Oostende on loan, where everything changed. He was voted Player of the Season in Belgium in 2020–21, earned his Scotland recall, and forced Club Brugge to come calling. From there, he played Champions League football against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain – experiences that were frankly unimaginable during his Parkhead years.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s the thing – Hendry’s story is not really about Celtic anymore, and that’s precisely what makes it worth following. He is now a 30-cap Scotland international with Champions League experience and a comfortable career in one of the world’s wealthiest leagues. The player once deemed surplus to requirements at Parkhead has outgrown the narrative of his Celtic spell almost completely.

What this U-turn does highlight is just how volatile the Saudi Pro League’s financial landscape remains. One week a club has the backing to extend deals; the next, a player is being linked to a free exit and a rival club is circling. The instability is real, and it affects players at every level of that league – something worth keeping in mind as we track our own Celtic transfer movements for 2025–26 and consider the market forces pulling players toward that part of the world.

Let’s be honest – Hendry was never going to return to Celtic as part of any transfer conversation, and nobody serious is suggesting otherwise. But for supporters who remember him struggling to nail down a starting place at Parkhead, there is something genuinely satisfying about watching a player rebuild himself so thoroughly. He did the hard yards, he went somewhere uncomfortable, and he made it work. That’s not nothing.

Whether the Al-Ettifaq extension gets over the line or the Al-Hilal move resurfaces, keep an eye on Ben Jacobs for the first concrete confirmation – he has been closest to this one throughout. Either way, Hendry’s days of being defined by his Celtic spell are long behind him.

Mon The Hoops.