England midfielder Jordan Henderson insists he can still thrive in the Premier League after joining Brentford on a free transfer on Tuesday following his exit from Dutch side Ajax.
Henderson agreed a two-year contract with the Bees as he returned to the Premier League after leaving Liverpool in 2023.
“After a couple of years away I still have that fire to come back and play in the Premier League again,” the 35-year-old said.
“Obviously it’s the best league in the world, with the best players. So it’s a big challenge but one I’m keen on doing.
“When I was given the opportunity by Brentford and after speaking with the club it became an easy decision.”
Henderson will face his boyhood club Sunderland in August before an emotional return to Liverpool in October.
“Both clubs mean a lot to me. I owe a lot to Sunderland and then Liverpool was a huge part of my life,” he said.
“But when I’m playing against them there’s no friends, we know that in football.”
Brentford’s new manager Keith Andrews moved for Henderson after losing Denmark midfielder Christian Norgaard to Arsenal.
“When we became aware of Jordan’s availability, it was a pretty simple decision,” Andrews said.
“We did our due diligence around his recent games to see where he is. He’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot.
“With the void of experienced players leaving the building – Christian Norgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee – it was important to replace that.
“What Jordan will bring is that he has been one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years. He’s been at the forefront of driving for titles and Champions Leagues at a fantastic football club.”
Henderson has 84 England caps and was recently recalled by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.
He spent 12 years with Liverpool, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 among numerous other trophies, before a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq two years ago.
Henderson was accused of putting money above principles, having previously spoken out in support of the LGBTQ community.
His contract with Al-Ettifaq was cancelled just six months later.
Henderson subsequently joined Ajax, earning the captaincy and making 57 appearances for the Dutch club.
However, Ajax’s late collapse cost them the Eredivisie title last season and his contract was terminated last week with a year still left to run.
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© Agence France-Presse
