Why England fans booed Jordan Henderson

A sodden Jordan Henderson may have trotted off the Wembley pitch clapping but his exit was not met with applause from the crowd.

As Henderson was substituted an hour into England's 1-0 friendly win over Australia on Friday, part of a quadruple change which underscored the lack of competitive edge to the contest, a rumble of boos rolled around Wembley Stadium.

England boss Gareth Southgate, who made Henderson captain on the night while the regular skipper Harry Kane rested on the bench, could not wrap his head around the reaction.

"I really don't understand it," Southgate fumed post-match. "He's a player who has won 79 caps for England and his commitment and what he has delivered for England is exceptional."

So why did Henderson receive a hostile reception?

Jordan Henderson's England career

Fabio Capello was the first England manager to hand Henderson a cap, starting the then 20-year-old in a friendly against France at Wembley in 2010. Peter Crouch came off the bench to score in a 2-1 defeat that Henderson, still playing at Sunderland at the time, admitted was "a little bit difficult compared to what I'm used to."

The best part of four years elapsed before Henderson's next international start. Impressing Roy Hodgson from the midfield of a Liverpool team that came within a whisker of the 2013/14 Premier League title, Henderson started England's first two games of a disastrous World Cup that summer.

Southgate hasn't always included Henderson in his first XI at major tournaments during his successful reign as England manager - he notably didn't start a single game at Euro 2020 - but the industrious midfielder is rarely left out of the squad.

Henderson's social qualities are just as important to Southgate as his on-field efforts.

"His role in the group on and off the pitch is phenomenally important," the England manager explained in October. "He's the one that has taken the likes of Jude Bellingham under his wing since he came into the squad. He's a brilliant role model for all of the group in his professionalism and his approach."

Why did England fans boo Jordan Henderson against Australia?

The last time that Henderson was booed by England fans, the disdain was aimed at the entire team. Ahead of the 2020 European Championships (in 2021), England's players were jeered by their own supporters while taking a knee in an anti-racism protest before friendlies against Austria and Romania at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.

Henderson insisted that the boos only underscored the need to keep fighting against racism. Two years on, Henderson's once-staunch activism has underpinned his public decline.

No poll was conducted on the Wembley crowd, but Henderson's hotly controversial move to Saudi Arabian top-flight side Al Ettifaq in the summer likely served as the catalyst for the negative reaction on Friday.

Henderson was one of numerous stars plucked from Europe's elite by the revamped Saudi Pro League in the off-season. Fellow Liverpool teammate Fabinho moved to Al Ittihad within days of Henderson's £12m move. Former Reds icon and England captain Steven Gerrard is the manager of Henderson's new club, Al Ettifaq, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's second-largest petrochemicals company rather than the nation's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Unlike many of his colleagues in the kingdom, Henderson's move prompted a particularly bitter backlash from fans who accused him of hypocrisy. Henderson was a long-term ally of the LGBTQ+ community, lending his public profile to a cause that promoted greater inclusivity.

Yet, homosexual relations are illegal in Saudi Arabia, Henderson's new home, and are subject to severe punishments, including the death penalty.

Al Ettifaq infamously announced Henderson's transfer with a collage of the Liverpool captain which greyed out the rainbow armband he wore in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Henderson insisted in an interview with The Athletic that "money has never been a motivation" and quashed suggestions that his new wages stretched to the rumoured £700,000-per-week figures. But he has still been upheld as a mercenary who has ditched his beliefs for a price.

In the same interview, Henderson revealed that he would not receive any payments for promoting Saudi Arabia on social media. Yet, in October - just a week before his appearance against Australia - Henderson appeared in a video backing the kingdom's bid for the 2034 men's World Cup.

"Very excited about the announcement," Henderson gushed. "Go Saudi Arabia 2034."

Southgate tripped over himself pleading with England fans to support Henderson ahead of September's international break. There was little notable dissent in either of England's away games against Ukraine and Scotland but Henderson was booed before and during his first appearance at Wembley since moving to Saudi.

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