Jordan Henderson makes Premier League return on free transfer | OneFootball

Jordan Henderson will be back in the Premier League next season after joining Brentford as a free agent in the summer transfer window.

The England midfielder triggered a clause in his Ajax contract that would allow him to leave the Eredivisie club this summer for nothing.

Henderson had been linked with Nottingham Forest and Marseille, while Sunderland fans had hoped to see him return to his boyhood club where he started his career. But the 35-year-old has instead signed a two-year contract with Brentford ahead of next season.

Jordan Henderson returns to Premier League on free transfer

“I’m delighted that I’m here; I’m very excited to get started and get going,” he said after completing his transfer.

“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.”

Henderson added that new Bees manager Keith Andrews was a “big reason” why he chose Brentford as the next stop on his career.

“When I spoke to Keith a few times, he was very good and very honest, and he’s excited to get started as well.”

Andrews said it was a “pretty simple decision” to sign the veteran when they learned of his availability, calling him “one of the most influential leaders” in recent Premier League history.

“We did our due diligence around his recent games to see where he is: he’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot,” the Irish coach said in a statement.

“With the void of experienced players leaving the building – Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee – it was important to replace that.

“We’ve got a pretty young squad, overall, and we’ve got a lot of club experience, which is really important, with the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Ethan Pinnock and Josh Dasilva, who is still at the club doing rehab.

“But what Jordan will bring is that he has been one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years. He’s been at the forefront of driving for titles and Champions Leagues at a fantastic football club.

“He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession – that’s the exact way we want to be as a football club.

“He will drive standards and be a brilliant addition to the squad.”

Henderson, who captained Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory, left Anfield two years ago to link up with Steven Gerrard at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. The move proved to be an ill-fated one and his contract was terminated less than six months later.

Read – The highest transfer fees for uncapped English players

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