England Midfielder Jordan Henderson Leaves Ajax After Asking to End Contract

England midfielder Jordan Henderson has left Ajax after the club agreed to terminate his contract early. Henderson had one year remaining on his deal, but Ajax stated on Thursday that it cooperated with the player's request to end the contract.

Henderson thanked Ajax and the people of Amsterdam in a club statement but did not specify his reasons for leaving or his future plans. He indicated that the recent death of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and Jota's brother in a car accident influenced his decision to issue only a brief statement at this time. Henderson stated he fully intends to give the club, teammates, and supporters a more personal thank you when it feels more appropriate.

One potential future option mentioned for Henderson is a return to his hometown club Sunderland, where he began his career before joining Liverpool in 2011. Sunderland has been promoted back to the Premier League for next season.

Henderson joined Ajax in January 2024 following an unsuccessful six-month spell with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Liverpool, winning the Premier League and Champions League. The 35-year-old captained Ajax this season, but the team fell short of winning the Dutch league title after a late collapse saw them overtaken by PSV Eindhoven.

Henderson has earned 84 caps for England and returned to the national team squad this year under new coach Thomas Tuchel.