- Jordan Henderson says he doesn’t know why England fans booed him
- Henderson has been heavily criticised following his move to Saudi Arabia
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Jordan Henderson has claimed he does not understand why England supporters turned on him on Friday night.
The midfielder was booed during England’s 1-0 win over Australia, a clear reaction to his decision to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window.
Henderson was once revered as a staunch advocate for equality and inclusion – particularly for the LGBT community. But his move to Al-Ettifaq has seen his social standing plummet given Saudi’s notorious human rights record – particularly regarding homosexuality.
Gareth Southgate threw his support behind Henderson after Friday’s friendly, saying he couldn’t understand why England supporters had booed the 33-year-old midfielder.
And Henderson, who captained the team against the Aussies, is also struggling to comprehend the negative reaction. Asked whether he understood supporters booing him, Henderson responded: ‘Not really. I don’t know… do you?
England midfielder Jordan Henderson says that he doesn’t know why supporters booed him
England boss Gareth Southgate threw his support behind Henderson after Friday’s friendly
‘Everybody has got their own opinion. I love playing for England, I have done for many years, that’s why I’m still here.
‘I still want to play for England for as long as I possibly can and give everything for the team, for my country.
‘It’s not nice, your own fans booing. But listen, people have got their own opinions. Whenever I bump into anyone on the street it’s always been positive stuff and nice things said.
‘It won’t change who I am and what I do for this team and for my country. I give absolutely everything every time.
‘If people want to boo if I’m playing in a different country, that’s fine. Everyone is going to have an opinion when I’m playing over in Saudi. I’ve spoken in the past about the reasons for that. Whether people believe me or not is up to them.
‘The gaffer (Southgate) has been really good as always. I’ve always felt support and…