Henderson joined theSunderland Academy at the age of eight, making hisfirst-team debut a decade later in November 2008. He spent six months onloan atCoventry City in 2009, before returning to Sunderland. In 2011, Henderson signed forLiverpool, winning his first trophy with the club, theLeague Cup, one year later. Appointed Liverpoolcaptain in 2015, Henderson won theUEFA Champions League, theUEFA Super Cup and theFIFA Club World Cup in 2019, and in 2020 led his team to thePremier League title. For his performances in the title-winning season, Henderson was namedFWA Footballer of the Year. In 2022, he won theFA Cup and theEFL Cup, with Liverpool beatingChelsea on penalties in both finals. He left Liverpool in 2023 and subsequently played forAl-Ettifaq andAjax. In 2025, he returned to the Premier League, signing a two-year deal with Brentford.
Henderson signed a professional contract with Sunderland on 1 July 2008.[7] He made hisfirst-team debut on 1 November in a 5–0 away defeat toChelsea in thePremier League, in which he came on as a half-timesubstitute.[8] He then made his first Sunderland start and home debut againstBlackburn Rovers in theLeague Cup the following month.[9]
In January 2009, Henderson joinedChampionship clubCoventry City on a one-monthloan.[10] He made his Coventry debut in a 2–1 defeat toDerby County.[11] Henderson's loan to Coventry was extended until the end of the season,[12] and he scored the first senior goal of his career on 28 February 2009 againstNorwich City.[13] After picking up an injury, a fracture to thefifth metatarsal bone in his foot, he returned to Sunderland in April 2009.[14]
In the2009–10 season, Henderson broke into the Sunderland first team and made 38 appearances, scoring 2 goals.[15] He scored his first senior goal for the club againstBirmingham City in the League Cup third round.[16] He then went on to score his first Premier League goal againstManchester City on 19 December 2009.[17]
Henderson spent the majority of the season on the right side of midfield but played centrally in the absence ofLee Cattermole; his versatility and consistency earned him a new five-year contract on 23 April 2010, keeping him with the club until 2015.[18] He also went on to win the Sunderland Young Player of the Year award for the 2009–10 season.[19]
Henderson was a major part of the team during the2010–11 season making 39 appearances and scoring 3 goals,[20] including his first league double, on 23 April at home toWigan Athletic.[21] On 13 January 2011, Henderson was listed on the official FIFA website as one of 13 young players to watch in 2011.[22] He was named Sunderland's Young Player of the Year for the second season running.[23]
On 9 June 2011, Henderson was transferred toLiverpool for an undisclosed fee thought to be between £16 and £20 million.[24][25][26][27] He made his debut in Liverpool's first match of the2011–12 Premier League, a 1–1 draw against his former club Sunderland where he was given a mixed reception by Sunderland fans.[28] On 27 August 2011, Henderson scored his first goal for Liverpool in a Premier League fixture atAnfield againstBolton Wanderers.[29] On 26 February 2012, Henderson started on the right of midfield in Liverpool's2012 League Cup final victory overCardiff City before being substituted in the 58th minute.[30] On 5 May, he played the full 90 minutes as Liverpool were beaten 2–1 by Chelsea in the2012 FA Cup final.[31] Henderson ended the2011–12 season with 2 goals from 48 appearances.[32]
In August 2012, Henderson was told he could be signed byFulham by new managerBrendan Rodgers, but this was rejected by the player.[33] He went on to score his firstEuropean goal for Liverpool on 6 December 2012, with the winner againstUdinese in theUEFA Europa League as theReds qualified for the last 32.[34]
Henderson established himself as a regular member of the Liverpool team in the2013–14 season, playing in 40 matches and scoring 5 goals.[35] On 29 September 2013, he made his 100th appearance for the club as Liverpool won 1–3 at Sunderland.[36]
On 13 April 2014, he received his first careerred card for a dangerous sliding tackle onSamir Nasri in a 3–2 win over Manchester City, resulting in a three-match ban that meant he would miss three of Liverpool's last four matches;[37] without Henderson, Liverpool lost 0–2 in a home game against Chelsea and drew 3–3 withCrystal Palace, losing a 3–0 lead in just 15 minutes before the final whistle.[38] Failure to win any of those games meant that by the time of Henderson's return from suspension, Liverpool had already been overtaken in first place by Manchester City. On 11 May 2014, the final match day of the competition, he started in Liverpool's 2–1 home win overNewcastle United only to finish second as Manchester City claimed the league title in their concurrent game.[39]
Henderson started the2014–15 season in a good form, providing two assists in Liverpool's first three league matches,[40] and was named as the club'svice-captain following the departure ofDaniel Agger.[41] On 29 November, Henderson started ascaptain for the first time for Liverpool in the Premier League againstStoke City asSteven Gerrard was an unused substitute.[42] On 2 December, Henderson marked his 150th appearance for the club by scoring the third goal in a 3–1 win againstLeicester City to confirm the win.[43] Henderson started many Liverpool matches as captain as Gerrard was out injured or being rested on the bench.[44][45][46] On 23 April, Henderson signed a five-year contract extension at Liverpool worth £100,000 a week.[47]
Following the departure of Gerrard in June 2015, Henderson was made captain of Liverpool.[48] After aggravating a heel injury Henderson underwent surgery,[49][50] but broke a bone in his right foot before he could rejoin the starting line-up.[51] It was reported that Henderson's heel problems stemmed from the incurable conditionplantar fasciitis.[52] The injury meant that he missed the arrival of managerJürgen Klopp after Rodgers was sacked.[53][54][55] He returned to first-team football on 29 November 2015 againstSwansea City.[56] He scored on his first start since his injury, in a 2–2 home draw withWest Bromwich Albion on 13 December 2015.[57] A knee injury sustained during Liverpool's Europa League first leg match withBorussia Dortmund ruled him out until the end of the season.[58] Henderson ended the 2015–16 season with 26 appearances and 2 goals.[59]
Henderson started the 2016–17 season with regular appearances in the starting eleven and on 16 September scored with a 25-yard shot in a 2–1 away win over Chelsea.[60] The strike earned him thePremier League Goal of the Month award for the month of September.[61] Henderson ended the season with 27 appearances, scoring 1 goal.[62] Henderson spent the 2017–18 season as a first-team regular, and he scored his only goal of the season on 23 September 2017, with a winner against Leicester City in a 3–2 win.[63] On 15 August 2017, Henderson captained Liverpool for the first time in theUEFA Champions League against German team1899 Hoffenheim.[64] He would go on to captain Liverpool all the way to thefinal, ending up on the losing side after Liverpool were beaten 3–1 byReal Madrid inKyiv.[65] Henderson ended the 2017–18 season with 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 1 goal.[66]
Henderson signed a new five-year deal at Liverpool in 2018 after leading the club to its first Champions League final in over a decade.[67] After signing the contract, Henderson emphasised his intentions to remain at Liverpool for as long as possible and ideally the remainder of his career.[68] On 24 November, Henderson was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in a 3–0 win againstWatford, meaning he would miss theMerseyside derby on 2 December.[69]
On 7 May 2019, Henderson played through pain after suffering a first-half knee injury to captain Liverpool to qualification for their second Champions League final in as many seasons with a 4–3 aggregate semi-final victory overBarcelona, a 4–0 victory on the night. Liverpool began the match with a 0–3 deficit to overcome and key players missing, and the comeback is considered to be one of the best in the history of the competition.[70][71] On 1 June 2019, Henderson captained Liverpool in a 2–0 victory overTottenham Hotspur in the2019 Champions League final in Madrid, becoming the fifth Liverpool captain to lift the Champions League trophy,[72] the club's sixth overall.[73] Liverpool then followed this up by winning the2019 UEFA Super Cup, beating Chelsea on penalties.[74] On 21 December 2019, Henderson led Liverpool to their firstFIFA Club World Cup title after beating2019 Copa Libertadores winnersFlamengo 1–0 after extra time in thefinal in Doha, making them the only English club to win the treble of continental trophies.[75] After this third trophy in a year, ex-Liverpool playerJohn Aldridge voiced his belief that Henderson should now be regarded as a Liverpool great.[76]
Liverpool finished the 2018–19 season with one of the highest points totals in English top-flight history, but finished in 2nd place one point behind champions Manchester City.[77] Liverpool's good form continued into the following season, and after a break caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic, Henderson led Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years on 25 June 2020.[78] Often credited for heroic and passionate performances throughout the league-winning season, Henderson was named theFWA Footballer of the Year for 2020 along with being named a finalist for thePFA Players' Player of the Year. Having featured in 40 games during the 2019–20 season, Henderson entered the list of top 40 all-time Liverpool appearance makers at the end of the campaign.[79]
2021–2023: Domestic double and FA Community Shield
On 31 August 2021, Henderson signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool.[80] He scored his first Champions League goal in seven years on 15 September, with the winner in the openinggroup stage match, a 3–2 home victory overAC Milan.[81] On 24 October, he captained Liverpool to a 5–0 away victory against Manchester United, with his defence splitting pass puttingMohamed Salah through to score Liverpool's fifth.[82][83] Henderson made his 300th Premier League appearance for Liverpool on 8 November againstWest Ham United.[84]
On 14 May 2022, Henderson became the first Liverpool captain to win six different trophies after winning the2021–22 FA Cup.[85] Liverpool just missed out on the chance to achieve a historic quadruple, coming second in the2021–22 Premier League and Champions League, but winning both theEFL Cup and FA Cup.[86] At the end of the2022–23 season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.[87] On 26 July 2023, Henderson confirmed he would be leaving Liverpool after 12 years.[88]
Al-Ettifaq
On 27 July 2023, Henderson signed forSaudi Pro League clubAl-Ettifaq for a reported transfer fee of £12 million.[89][90] Al-Ettifaq were managed bySteven Gerrard, Henderson's former teammate at Liverpool.[91] He made his debut on 14 August in a 2–1 win againstAl-Nassr in the league.[92][93] In January 2024, Henderson left Al-Ettifaq after his contract was mutually terminated.[94]
On 18 January 2024, Henderson signed forEredivisie clubAjax on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[95][96] He made his debut on 3 February in a 1–1 home draw withPSV at theJohan Cruyff Arena.[97] He became a free agent on 9 July 2025.[98][99]
Brentford
On 15 July 2025, Henderson returned to his home country, signing for Premier League clubBrentford on a two-year contract.[100]
On 11 November 2010, Henderson was omitted from England's U21 squad for their friendly withGermany,[108] instead receiving his first call up to thesenior England squad on 17 November for their friendly againstFrance.[109] He made his debut in the match, playing from the start in central midfield alongside Steven Gerrard.[110]
Initially named as a standby player,[111] Henderson was called up to the EnglandEuro 2012 squad to replace the injuredFrank Lampard.[112] He featured in England's first match of the tournament against France, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute forScott Parker,[113] and again featured as a substitute, coming on during extra-time, in England'squarter-finalpenalty shoot-out defeat toItaly.[114]
Henderson was selected in Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad to travel to Brazil for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[115] He started in England's opening two World Cup group matches, 2–1 defeats to Italy inManaus, andUruguay inSão Paulo.[116][117]
Henderson was also selected in the EnglandEuro 2016 squad by Hodgson.[118] He only played one match, playing the full 90 minutes in the final group match againstSlovakia which ended 0–0 as England finished second in their group.[119]
He was named in the England squad for the2018 World Cup in Russia.[120] In England's round of 16 match againstColombia, Henderson was the only Three Lions player to miss a spot-kick as the match went to penalties. England still won though, 4–3, and made it to the semi-finals.[121] The following year, after helping his nation finish third at the inauguralUEFA Nations League and qualify forUEFA Euro 2020, Henderson was namedEngland Player of the Year, in the process becoming the first player to win the award at both U21 and senior level.[122]
Henderson's first international goal came on 3 July 2021 in theEuro 2020 quarter-final game againstUkraine. Entering as a substitute, he scored England's last goal with a header of the 4–0 win.[123] In theUEFA Euro 2020 final, Henderson was a 74th minute substitute before being replaced himself byMarcus Rashford at the end of extra time as England finished as runners-up.[124]
He was left out of the preliminary England squad for theEuro 2024 tournament;[127] having not featured since November 2023, Henderson was recalled to the squad in March 2025 for fixtures againstAlbania andLatvia.[128][129]
Described as an "athletic and hardworking midfielder", Henderson developed his game during his time at Liverpool, evolving into a more complete player; in particular, former Liverpool playerDanny Murphy noted that his passing range had increased, which allowed him to take on an increasingly more creative role for his team.[149][150] Furthermore, he constantly presses high up the field whenever the opposition is in possession.[151] Besides physical attributes and footballing skills, he has also been praised for his tactical intelligence,[152] consistency,[153] and his leadership both on and off the pitch.[154] He is also known for his ability to win challenges, transition the ball forward, and make attacking runs from midfield to get into good offensive positions.[134][155]
Henderson has the most successful passes of any player in Premier League history, with 23,364.[156]
Reception
Although he received media criticism early in his career for being dispensable, he later drew praise from pundits for his ability to develop his game and establish himself as an essential player, with Flamengo managerJorge Jesus describing him as the "best midfielder in the world in his position" following their encounter in the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup Final. Liverpool coach Klopp described him as "exceptional" and "outstanding",[134][152][157] while Steven Gerrard said about Henderson, "Teams can't function at Liverpool's level without a cog like Jordan Henderson."[158]
Personal life
Henderson is a Sunderland fan[159][160] and attended the2014 League Cup final with the Sunderland fans, while being a player at Liverpool.[161] On the same day as being named Liverpool captain, it was announced he would also be featuring alongsideLionel Messi on the cover of the UK edition ofFIFA 16.[162]
Henderson and his wife Rebecca Burnett have three children.[163] His father Brian, a former policeman and amateur footballer, survivedoral cancer during Henderson's early Liverpool career and was able to attend the 2019 Champions League final inMadrid.[164][165]
In December 2020, Henderson responded onTwitter to a fan who said that the club had helped deal with his sexual orientation during his teenage years and early adulthood. Henderson stated that if by wearing rainbow laces as Premier League captains helped at least one person, it was progress. He further stated that "everyone is welcome at Liverpool Football Club", sparking positive reactions from fans andLGBT organisations.[166] Kop Outs, the official LGBT Liverpool supporters group, said of Henderson's response as "an immensely important moment which touched a chord with all Reds fans".[167]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Henderson, as captain of Liverpool, contacted fellow Premier League captains to organise a COVID-19 fund that would raise millions of pounds for theNHS. His idea was for Premier League footballers to contribute to a fund for frontline NHS workers.[168][169][170]
His autobiography,Jordan Henderson: The Autobiography, was released in October 2022.[172][173]
In July 2023, Henderson was criticised for the move to Saudi Arabia in some quarters, having previously written in support of the LGBTQ+ community.[174] The video released by Al-Ettifaq desaturated Henderson's rainbow armband to black and white.[175] Former German internationalThomas Hitzlsperger, who announced he was gay after his playing career ended, posted on social media "I did believe for a while that [Henderson's] support for the [rainbow emoji] community would be genuine. Silly me."[175] "I can understand the frustration [from the LGBTQ+ community]," Henderson later toldThe Athletic. "I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I'm sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help."[176]
While playing in Saudi Arabia, Henderson, manager Steven Gerrard and their families lived in nearbyBahrain.[177]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 9 November 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^Smith, Rory (13 August 2011)."Liverpool 1 Sunderland 1".The Daily Telegraph. London.Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved16 August 2011.
^Bascombe, Chris (6 December 2012)."Udinese 0 Liverpool 1".The Daily Telegraph. London.Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved7 December 2012.
^"England 1–2 France".BBC Sport. 17 November 2010.Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved24 February 2019.
^Winter, Henry (17 November 2010)."England 1 France 2".The Daily Telegraph. London.Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved22 November 2010.
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