Jurgen Klopp comes to the defense of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson as he faces criticism following an unsuccessful period in Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come to the defense of former club captain Jordan Henderson, who has faced criticism for his decision to leave the Saudi Pro League after just six months. Henderson ended his 12-year tenure at Anfield last summer to join Al Ettifaq under the guidance of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. However, after making only 19 appearances, the England international has now returned to European football by signing for Ajax on a permanent deal.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Klopp expressed his support for Henderson and emphasized that he should not be judged for his career choices. “I’m happy for him as it looks like he is happy and that is the most important thing to me,” Klopp stated. “From time to time, I forget I actually don’t read these kind of stories but when it’s not about us I read a bit.”

The Liverpool manager went on to address the criticism Henderson has faced for his move, both to Saudi Arabia and back to Europe. Klopp defended the midfielder’s decisions, stating, “We have one life and we have to make decisions and sometimes our decisions are perfect in the first place and sometimes it is different after you made them.”

Klopp also revealed that he had spoken to Henderson about his time in Saudi Arabia and that the player had a positive experience overall. “Many things to develop in the future but [he was] never really critical or saying ‘It’s not possible that that’s not there’. But then he thought it is better for him and the family to come back to Europe and now he is at Ajax Amsterdam, a sensational club in a difficult moment.”

The Liverpool manager acknowledged that playing abroad is often seen as a surprising choice for English players, but he emphasized the value of the international experience. “In England only do people think ‘why do they go abroad when all other countries want to come to England?’. As beautiful as this country is it’s an international experience [to play in another country]. For me it was the same.”

Klopp concluded by expressing his happiness for Henderson and his new opportunity at Ajax. He also mentioned that he will be in touch with the player in the coming days, but understands that Henderson has more pressing matters to attend to. Henderson could potentially make his debut for Ajax on Sunday in their match against RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie.

In addition to discussing Henderson’s transfer, Klopp also commented on Mohamed Salah’s injury. The Liverpool forward suffered a suspected hamstring injury while playing for Egypt against Ghana. Klopp described the injury as a “shock” but stated that he did not have any further information regarding the length of Salah’s absence from the pitch.