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Jordan Henderson signs for Brentford and vows he can 'still improve' amid Keith Andrews praise for England veteran's 'experience and professionalism'
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Updated 15/07/2025 at 13:44 GMT+1
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Jordan Henderson has returned to the Premier League after signing for Brentford. The former Liverpool player was most recently at Ajax, but was released by the Dutch team this summer. Before playing for Ajax, Henderson had a brief spell in the Saudi Pro League, and the 34-year-old is now back in England as he looks to keep his place in Thomas Tuchel's squad for next year's World Cup.
Jordan Henderson
Image credit: Other Agency
Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has made a return to the Premier League after signing for Brentford.
The 34-year-old was released from his contract by Ajax earlier this summer and there had been speculation he would return to England as he looks to retain his place in Thomas Tuchel's squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Henderson made 45 appearances for Ajax last season, scoring one goal and providing six assists across all competitions.
However, the Dutch giants had to settle for second place in the Eredivisie after a catastrophic end-of-season collapse saw them relinquish a nine-point lead and hand the title to rivals PSV.
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews believes the England international still has plenty more to give at the highest level.
"When we became aware of Jordan’s availability, it was a pretty simple decision," he said.
"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 Norgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee - it was important to replace that.
"We’ve got a pretty young squad, overall, and we’ve got a lot of club experience, which is really important, with the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Ethan Pinnock and Josh Dasilva, who is still at the club doing rehab.
"But 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."
Henderson captained the Liverpool side that ended the club's 30-year wait for an English league title during the 2019/2020 campaign.
He also helped The Reds lift the FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Champions League during his time with the club.
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The 35-year-old has also spent time with boyhood club Sunderland and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq during his career.
On the international stage, Henderson has won 84 England caps since his debut in 2010.
Andrews believes the midfielder's experience and professionalism can help the club.
"He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession," Andrews added.
"That’s the exact way we want to be as a football club.
"He will drive standards and be a brilliant addition to the squad."
Brentford finished 10th in the Premier League table last term.
However, they have a huge season ahead following the departure of former manager Thomas Frank, who guided the club into the English top flight.
He joined Tottenham this summer after seven successful years in which he established The Bees as a Premier League club.
Henderson 'very excited' to start new chapter
Henderson insists that he will do all he can to pass on his experience to his new teammates.
"I’m delighted that I’m here," he said. "I’m very excited to get started and get going.
"I’ve always had huge admiration for the club and what they’ve achieved over the last few years, in particular, how they’ve grown as a club.
"I’ve been told how organised and well-run the club is, it’s very family-oriented, which I think is very important.
"I try my best to pass on my experiences, especially to the younger players.
"But, at the same time, I still need to perform and do my job on the pitch.
"It’s a given that I’ll help everybody around me but, even at my age, you can still learn a lot, you can still improve, and you can still get better, which is what I want to do at this club."
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