Jordan Henderson is closing in on leading Ajax to the Eredivisie title, but it has been a rocky season at the Johan Cruyff Arena for the former Liverpool captain
Jordan Henderson is available to lead Ajax to the Eredivisie title – after being accused of getting himself booked to avoid a ban that would have sidelined him during the run-in. Henderson served a one-game suspension for the draw against Sparta Rotterdam last week for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in a 4-0 defeat at Utrecht.
Pundits in Holland have suggested Henderson was delighted when a dissenting gesture to referee Bas Nijhuis drew a booking that would free him up to play in his club’s final three games of the season.
Ajax are clear at the top of the table – and their 34-year-old captain will lift the championship trophy once the deal is sealed. Dutch TV pundit Bram van Polen claimed: “Jordan will be secretly happy with the yellow card he got against Utrecht because he was suspended for the next game against Sparta.
“I say that 100 percent. I think he will enjoy missing the game because it’s not going to be the match where Ajax will clinch the title.”
Henderson insisted: “In my opinion, the yellow card was a bit of a heavy sanction, but it is what it is. I don’t want to miss any games.”
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Henderson led Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2020 but was forced to perform the trophy lift on an empty Anfield Kop because of the pandemic restrictions that were in place.
Now he will get to accept the Eredivisie shield before Virgil van Dijk leads Liverpool’s latest class of champions up to collect their medals after Liverpool’s final game of the season against Crystal Palace later this month.
It has been a bittersweet season for Henderson. It will end with a title success and a return to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra next month.
But in January, he was involved in a transfer stand-off that threatened to derail Ajax’s season when Monaco made a move to take the midfielder to France. Henderson has insisted that claims in the Dutch media that he threatened to go on strike to force the deal through are untrue.
But what is fact is that he handed the captain’s armband to goalkeeper Remko Pasveer just before he was due to lead the team out for a crucial Europa League tie against Galatasaray. The former Sunderland favourite then clashed with local journalists after being accused of unprofessional behaviour.
Ajax felt compelled to tell their captain he would not be allowed to leave after rescuing him from his nightmare in the Saudi Pro League after an unhappy six-month stint with Al-Ettifaq.
It is unclear whether Henderson will now serve the final 12 months of his contract with the Amsterdam giants, but there are suggestions in Holland that an exit door to join Monaco has now closed.
Tuchel’s belief that the midfielder can still do a job for England saw the new Three Lions boss bring him back into the squad after the disappointment of being left out of Gareth Southgate ’s selection for last summer’s Euros.
Former Holland striker Wim Kieft said; “Henderson is a decent guy and on the pitch he is the leader. He goes first in all the battles.’ I know many Dutch fans say Ajax signed a very ordinary player, but that’s not fair. Henderson plays the same role he has always played. So don’t expect him to do things he can’t.”
Ajax are on the verge of winning their 37th Dutch title, but the style implemented by Italian coach Francesco Farioli has come in for some criticism at the club synonymous with Total Football.
Former Ajax manager Henk ten Cate, who also had spells as an assistant at both Chelsea and Barcelona, said: “The fans will just be happy if Ajax clinch the title and return to the Champions League, but normally they would not accept this.
“Ajax fans want attacking, entertaining and technical football. That has been their style for decades. There will soon be a time that this football is no longer accepted. Farioli plays defensive football and is getting results with a couple of successful counter attacks.”
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