England midfielder Jordan Henderson has left Ajax after the club agreed to end his contract early following a year and a half in the Netherlands. Although Henderson had one year remaining on his deal, Ajax confirmed on Thursday that they cooperated with his request to terminate the contract.
Henderson thanked the club and the people of Amsterdam but did not specify why he asked to leave or what his next plans are. He mentioned that the recent tragic death of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and Jota’s brother André Silva in a car accident influenced how he shared the news. “Due to the tragic events of last week, and the devastating loss of my former teammate Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, it doesn’t feel right at this moment to say or do more than share this brief statement,” Henderson said. He added that he plans to give a more personal thank you to the club, teammates, and supporters when the time feels more appropriate.
One possible next step for Henderson could be a return to Sunderland, his hometown club where he began his career before joining Liverpool in 2011. Sunderland has recently been promoted back to the Premier League for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Henderson joined Ajax in January 2024 after a short six-month spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq. Prior to that, he spent 12 successful years at Liverpool, winning both the Premier League and Champions League titles. At 35 years old, Henderson captained Ajax this season but the club narrowly missed out on the Dutch league title, finishing behind PSV Eindhoven after a late-season drop in form. He has represented England 84 times and returned to the national team squad this year under new coach Thomas Tuchel.
