Not if I had the kind of money Henderson already has in the bank, could expect to earn well where I already was and going there meant a significant lowering of my level of ambition in my career, no.
Jordan Henderson | New Athletic Interview: I strongly believe that me playing in Saudi Arabia is a positive thing
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Not to go off on a tangent, but I never understood how people feel it's a necessity - or even a particularly good thing - to set up their children and generations to come with the funds enabling them to live comfortably without ever making something of themselves. A bit of a cushion is nice, but beyond that?
I would, it would set me up for life. However I wouldn't claim I was doing it to be "an agent for change", I would be honest and say the money is life changing and then if I really cared, maybe donate some of the salary to LGBT charities.
I'd argue that pretty much everyone has a price, for pretty much anything. Most people's morals are for sale at the right price. For many people, if they are already rich, all other things being equal, that price goes up. I accept a small number of people cannot be bought at any price. But most people have a price. £700k per week is Henderson's price and I'd imagine not many people would turn down that money, no matter what they had to do for it.
The issue is that he is either deluding himself if he thinks he didn't go for money, or lying to everyone and taking the mick if he does accept he's gone for the money. I'd have a lot more respect for him if he said something along the lines of 'it's not ideal, it's not my first choice, but I was offered so much money I couldn't turn it down'. But most people perform internal mental gymnastics when they have sold their soul because they don't like to admit what they've done even to themselves. So they come up with loads of reasons to justify what they've done and just repeat them.
Incidentally, £140k per week before tax and 700k per week after tax are completely different stratospheres. If those figures are true, he's gone from £3.64M per year after tax (assuming 50% tax) to £36.4M per year tax free. That's a 10x increase. Absolutely he wasn't on the breadline, but £73M tax free over 2 years is quite some offer, even for a bloke on a few million per year. I'm not sure many people would turn down that kind of offer.
But FFS just be honest about it and admit to what everyone knows is the situation.
The other issue for Henderson is most people moving to SA for money aren't famous and certainly most haven't made use of their fame to promote LGBT causes. At risk of stating the obvious, he's now just trying to save face. But we live in an era when the public aren't as accepting of PR BS which they can smell a mile off and would prefer the truth. When he's so obviously not telling the truth, he's making his image look even worse.
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Corrected your statement so its more relevant to the average joe.
But it's not the simple decision you might think, I would consider family and social life, plus moving to Saudi to work at a lower standard/quality is hardly attractive to a professional.
I could easily see myself turning down the offer tbh.
@Needham On second thoughts can I have a few days to think it over 
Take a week. Alsoo imagine how Henderson felt.@Needham On second thoughts can I have a few days to think it over
Not really. I wouldn’t. 35 to 45 degrees is not my ideal temperature and perhaps I’d never be able to leave the country after holding my fiancée’s hand in public while taking a walk.
As I said, I wouldn't either. But I'd be interested if there's anyone on the boards who actually turned down an exceptionally lucrative short term contract there due to ethical/climate/hand-holding reasons.
Wait, what?
Never heard of a Burqa?
That was a quick turnaround...idiot.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...erson-transfer-news-saudi-arabia-return-cost/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...erson-transfer-news-saudi-arabia-return-cost/
He’s basically Shamima Begum when you think about it.
Almost certainly clutching at straws, but it could be positive news for us if he leaves Saudi Arabia. Their squads are apparently full up, so we probably won't be seeing them as potential buyers for unwanted squad players; that could change if a couple of the guys they have force moves... assuming that's even possible.
Too soon. Need them to buy Salah this summer.
Redcafe everyone. What’s his liberal rebrand going to look like? Wear tighter and shorter shorts?
All the money in the world but it still doesn't guarantee happiness. The one great big downfall in all of this is that you do actually have to go and live in Saudi Arabia, something very few people have on their bucket lists.
Full rainbow kit and interview on piers Morgan where he ‘apologises’ and says he’s put all the money he earned from Saudi into charitable causes.
The problem with Henderson and his position is nothing to do with the idea of taking the big bag of cash. He's at the end of his career, there are no real sporting aspirations going forward, his legs will be gone soon if they haven't already and he needs them as a midfielder in a top league. So he's done what loads of aging players do, go to a crap league for the money and easy life.
The real issue is the way he presented his views, which turned out to be exactly what I expect from footballers. They will peddle any old idea that they are told to that they have no personal investment in, and then they don't really stand behind the views they espouse in any meaningful way if it requires them to actually show some backbone and conviction behind it that comes at a cost to them. Basically like many, many celebrities and organisations that do the same thing by attaching themselves to gay rights, views on race, climate change and whatever else that needs to be peddled.
So when he says him playing there is a positive, it is. For his bank account and career. He's not going to be propelling any major change because the fella clearly has no view he wants to stand behind.
The real issue is the way he presented his views, which turned out to be exactly what I expect from footballers. They will peddle any old idea that they are told to that they have no personal investment in, and then they don't really stand behind the views they espouse in any meaningful way if it requires them to actually show some backbone and conviction behind it that comes at a cost to them. Basically like many, many celebrities and organisations that do the same thing by attaching themselves to gay rights, views on race, climate change and whatever else that needs to be peddled.
So when he says him playing there is a positive, it is. For his bank account and career. He's not going to be propelling any major change because the fella clearly has no view he wants to stand behind.
It's all good that he wants to quit Saudi & return to the premier but how many takers would there be for a 33 year old midfielder in the twilight of his career ? I'm assuming that the Saudis would want some kind of return on their 12 mil investment or is that just pin money for them.
I'm thinking that the Saudi football experiment is on its way down the toilet !!
I'm thinking that the Saudi football experiment is on its way down the toilet !!
Cue a Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall and Henderson midfield next season in the PL
Stupid feck p***ed away his "reputation" for that.
Henderson looking for return to the PL:
I don't understand how or why he's struggling?! With the money he's on, he's living in absolute luxury, waited hand and foot. If he misses home, he can charter a private jet to see his friends and family. And he only has to 'endure' this hardship for another 18 months then he can leave.
What a baby
What a baby
If you are an unhappy rich person, I don't think more money will make you happy.
Pretty sure they have to pay a load of tax if they leave within the 1st two years of their contract.
He took the whole family with him, didn't he? It wouldn't surprise me, if it's his missus who can't stand it there and pushes him to return to England. My Liverpool supporting friends would gladly take him back as a bench option for a year and a half.
Nah.
It's time for him to find out if he can still do a job for the West Hams of this world.
He hasn't committed treason, so maybe not the most apt comparison.
Is it being optimistic to suggest that the number of unhappy players to move to Saudi Arabia might mean their 'project' is running out of steam already?
Neymar apparently isn't happy, Firmino wants out, Benzema too... and Jota's move was obviously a disaster. Could this still go the way of the Chinese leagues and fall away?
Neymar apparently isn't happy, Firmino wants out, Benzema too... and Jota's move was obviously a disaster. Could this still go the way of the Chinese leagues and fall away?
It most likely will, and that was always the most likely outcome of this anyway, it's just collapsing even faster than expected. The only person who seems to be taking to the league there is Ronaldo
I would imagine that guys who lived in Europe on already insane money might not enjoy the life in SA, even if they're making even more money. At some point the day to day life might weigh on you, especially if they realize there's no real need for it.Even in comparison to the Chinese league, I would imagine China is a much more interesting place to live.
Can't help but laugh if it's true.
He's edging towards the end of his career and he can get a last massive payday, obviously the financial side of it will be of huge interest to him and his family, but surely it doesn't take much intelligence to acknowledge that it doesn't exactly go hand in hand with his support for the LGBTQ community and that plenty of people will be consider his support as hollow. A bit of common sense and he would've withdrawn from the national team and avoided the PR-stuff about how he believes it's good for Saudi Arabia if he joins, as if he could change anything from within. Wanting to feck off after such a short period of time just makes him look like an ever bigger tit.
He's edging towards the end of his career and he can get a last massive payday, obviously the financial side of it will be of huge interest to him and his family, but surely it doesn't take much intelligence to acknowledge that it doesn't exactly go hand in hand with his support for the LGBTQ community and that plenty of people will be consider his support as hollow. A bit of common sense and he would've withdrawn from the national team and avoided the PR-stuff about how he believes it's good for Saudi Arabia if he joins, as if he could change anything from within. Wanting to feck off after such a short period of time just makes him look like an ever bigger tit.
Maybe playing in front 700 people for a few 100k a week isn't all it's cracked up to be.
This is exactly it. All the money in the world is meaningless when your daughter isn't allowed to go sunbathing at risk of breaking local bylaws. Westerners do tend to get given a lot more slack when it comes to the law in the Middle East, but it's a -weird- experience to live or work there for someone used to life in the U.K. and with children there moreso I'm sure.
Thanks, I can't believe I made such a glaring error.
That we know of?
Neymar is out for a year isn’t he? He’s probably not even there at the moment.
Firmino has been relegated to the bench and the team are doing better without him and Benzema is getting a lot of abuse for his lack of form. I’m not sure if they’re unhappy being there or just throwing their toys out the pram because they’re not playing well