Henderson left Liverpool for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq on Thursday, a transfer which has attracted huge criticism and backlash.
Many players have decided to head out to the Middle East given the huge transfer fees and wages teams are willing to pay – but some have accused Saudi Arabia of sportswashing given their abysmal human rights record.
Homosexuality is illegal in the country and can even be punishable by death with LGBTQ+ groups and their allies angered by Henderson’s summer switch given the England international’s previous vocal support for the gay community.
Al-Ettifaq’s announcement video confirming the signing of Henderson featured a blacked-out version of the former Liverpool captain’s rainbow armband.
Hitzlsberger, who played for Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton and came out as gay publicly after his retirement, has slammed Henderson for his Saudi transfer.
‘So Jordan Henderson finally gets his move to Saudi Arabia,’ Hitzlsberger said.
‘Fair play to him, he can play wherever he wants to play. Curious to know though how the new brand JH (Jordan Henderson) will look like. The old one is dead!
‘I did believe for a while that his support for the LGBTQ community would be genuine. Silly me…’
Hitzlsberger then found comments made by Henderson in 2019 in which the Englishman criticised countries where the LGBTQ+ community would not be safe.
‘This says it all,’ Hitzlsberger added. ‘His gay mates are not safe if they want to watch him live.
‘No one forced him to support the LGBT+ community. He chose to. Why??? Doesn’t make sense to me any more.’
Henderson spent 12 years at Liverpool, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League and has teamed up with Reds legend Steven Gerrard at his new club, who is the manager of Al-Ettifaq.
MORE : Jurgen Klopp reacts to Jordan Henderson’s decision to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia
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