I still have that fire – Jordan Henderson back in Premier League with Brentford

The 35-year-old England midfielder has completed a free transfer to the Bees and signed a two-year contract after leaving Ajax.

The former Liverpool title-winning captain left Anfield in 2023, making a controversial move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.

“After a couple of years away I still have that fire to come back and play in the Premier League again,” he told Brentford’s social media.

“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 has been reunited with former Reds players Caoimhin Kelleher, Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho at the Gtech Stadium, while he also played against new Bees boss Keith Andrews early in his career.

“I think when I was at Sunderland I might have played against him a few times. He’s another reason I wanted to come,” he added.

“Caoimhin isn’t in yet but I’ve spoken to Sepp and Fab a bit, along with the rest of the lads. It’s nice to have a few familiar faces, for sure.

“They’re great lads that I got on really well with at Liverpool, so that’s been nice for us to settle in.”

Henderson will come up against boyhood club Sunderland at the end of August and will 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.”

Andrews moved for Henderson after losing Danish midfielder Christian Norgaard to Arsenal.

“When we became aware of Jordan’s availability, it was a pretty simple decision,” Andrews told the Bees website.

“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 Nørgaard, 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.

“He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession – that’s the exact way we want to be as a football club.”

Henderson now has 84 caps, having been recalled by England boss Thomas Tuchel this year.

He admitted he regretted the move to Saudi Arabia after joining Dutch side Ajax in January 2024.