Shocking Saudi Pro League crowd at Jordan Henderson’s latest appearance

Henderson came under fire after giving an interview to The Athletic earlier this month in which he suggested the high salary offers were not the only reason behind his decision to leave Liverpool.

“It was about what we can do together to achieve something special and build a club and a league,” he explained.

“People will see this club come in with a lot of money and they’ll just say, ‘Yeah, I’m leaving.’ In reality, that wasn’t the case at all. Believe me or not, money has never been a motivation in my life and career. Never.”

Henderson may not have known what to expect when he teamed up with former Liverpool teammate and Al Ettifaq coach Steven Gerrard, but he may have expected to play in front of a bigger crowd.

According to ESPN, only 976 fans were in attendance last weekend when Al Ettifaq defeated Abha 3-1.

Their previous game against Damac attracted 2,281 spectators, while the game against Al Hazem last month was played in front of 1,024 spectators.

Matches featuring Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and a star-studded Al Hilal side have attracted more spectators in the Saudi Pro League, but it is clear this is the start of a project that has already rocked the football world.

Clearly Saudi Arabia’s fans are taking the time to familiarize themselves with the star names they now have on their doorstep. Those paying big money will be playing in front of a very different crowd than they were used to in the European Cup.