Henderson deserves Brentford boos on Chelsea debut after last day Liverpool nonsense | OneFootball

Jordan Henderson joined Chelsea from Brentford on a free transfer this summer. He might be in for a rough time of it on his return after his last game nonsense vs Liverpool and any negative reception would be fully deserved.

The England international made 32 Premier League appearances for the Bees after joining from Ajax on a one-year deal and got a goal and three assists in what everyone would agree was a successful spell at the Gtech Stadium. He proved his worth.

It made sense that in his bid to add experience to his squad this summer, Xabi Alonso plumped for the 36-year-old, as a leader off the pitch as much as on it.

On his return from the comical wrist injury sustained while celebrating England win over Mexico at the World Cup, where he didn’t make an appearance for Thomas Tuchel’s side, Henderson has been immediately drafted into the Chelsea XI to cope with the absences of Moises Caicedo and Reece James.

“We haven’t had enough continuity and stability in that part [midfield], which is very important,” Alonso said.

“Having Hendo back is very important because of his game intelligence and because he knows what it takes to compete in each Premier League game.

“He helps the players around him a lot. It took a bit for him to feel fully fit from the arm, but he felt good and he’s coming back somewhere he knows really well.”

He’s also coming back to a place where he might not get the best reception, despite his good performances for Brentford last term, after leaving on a bitter note.

When the Bees needed a goal away at Liverpool on the final day of the season to secure a place in Europe, Henderson basked in the applause from the Anfield crowd on this return to the club he captained to domestic and European glory.

He took his sweet time coming off the pitch, even taking time to shake the hands of Liverpool players as he ambled towards the dugout and joining club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson in their farewells from a club – and this was the important point – that Henderson no longer played for.

Understandably, Henderson’s lap of appreciation irked the Brentford fans as they missed out on Europe on goal difference and the veteran midfielder can expect a hostile reception on his return to a club whose fans appreciated him while he played, but won’t have been sad to see him go after his selfish final act.