Former Liverpool captain Henderson joins Brentford after Ajax exit

England and ex-Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has signed a two-year deal with Brentford, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, following his departure from Dutch club AFC Ajax.

Ajax confirmed the termination of Henderson's contract, initially set to run until June next year, with immediate effect on Thursday.

The 35-year-old will strengthen Brentford's options in midfield following their former captain Christian Norgaard's move to Arsenal.

"I'm delighted that I'm here, I'm very excited to get started and get going... it was clear for me that I wanted to come here and it was an easy decision in the end," Henderson said in a statement.

"I'll try my best to pass on my experiences, especially to the younger players. But, at the same time, I still need to perform and do my job on the pitch.

"It's a given that I'll help everybody around me but, even at my age, you can still learn a lot, you can still improve, and you can still get better, which is what I want to do at this club."

Henderson returns to the Premier League after a two-year absence, having left Liverpool in 2023 for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, a stint that lasted only six months.

He later joined Ajax, making 57 appearances and scoring once during his time with the club.

In March, he earned a surprise recall to the England squad under new manager Thomas Tuchel after being excluded from Euro 2024 contention.

(Reuters)