Games are played in 100-degree weather with evening fixtures even having 95 degrees by game time. A source told The Sun, “Jordan knows he has made a terrible mistake and stands to lose a lot of money. But he can’t face another day in Saudi. He has found the heat intolerable, and the quality of the football is, frankly, beneath his talents and won’t keep him in the England reckoning.”

Henderson’s disinterest showed, often handing in barely passable performances. The move to Ajax has reinvigorated the 33-year-old who has a fresh start at a major European club and took a massive pay cut to leave the Saudi Pro League.

Empty stadiums and culture shock

According to an investigative report by The Sun, the culture shock and strict conduct laws in Saudi Arabia force many teams to play in near empty stadiums.

The women must wear burkas, while Arab men are mostly in robes, and a few are in jeans and a t-shirt. Alcohol is banned from the stadium, the wives of the players are not allowed to the stadium, but exceptions are made from time to time.

Those who do arrive to the stadium having drank alcohol could face a punishment by flogging, while a source told The Sun, “A lot of top players brought in at huge expense from the Premier League and Europe feel the same — and Jordan won’t be the first to leave.”

Not only did the Portuguese find a way to bag one last lucrative deal before hanging them up, but also proved he could spend his sunset years playing at a high level. And that’s something other veteran stars wanted to try as well.

However, Ronaldo’s success hasn’t been easy to achieve for the rest. While the 38-year-old had a fantastic 2023 with 54 goals, many world-class players are reportedly regretting their decision to play in Saudi Arabia.

Karim Benzema

Only a few months back, Benzema received a hero’s welcome when announced by Al-Ittihad. The Frenchman was handed a mind-blowing, three-year deal reportedly worth €100m per season that could rise to €200m with commercial deals.

Things seemed to go well at the beginning, but the outlook has significantly changed recently. The striker has been the target of criticism following his team’s 5-2 loss to Al-Nassr in December, mainly because the fans demand a bigger committment from him.

That backlash saw him delete his Instagram profile, and he didn’t show up to practice for a few days. The Frenchman bagged 15 goals in 24 games so far, yet the fanbase expects a better production. This situation is reportedly making Benzema consider the idea of moving elsewhere, and according to Mundo Deportivo, PSG would be among the interested clubs in affording his €15m release clause.

Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson decided to try the Saudi Pro League experience after 12 years at Liverpool, but things haven’t gone to plan so far. The Englishman is reportedly unhappy at his new team, which is why he could also be on his way out of Saudi Arabia.

According to the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old is uncomfortable with the weather, lifestyle and culture of the country, but he’s also uninspired by the low attendance at Al-Ettifaq’s games this season, with an average of 7,800 spectators per game when the stadium has a 35,000 capacity. On top of that, Steven Gerrard’s side is 8th in the standings, 28 points shy of leaders Al-Hilal.

Let’s keep in mind, though, that Henderson reportedly signed a deal worth €40 million per year until June 2026, so leaving the club anytime soon could cost him a lot of money.

Roberto Firmino

Another player who is reportedly having a bad time in Saudi Arabia is Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian got off to a fantastic start by scoring a hat-trick in his debut, but nothing has been the same since then.

Not only has he failed to score since that game, but Bobby has also been removed from the starting eleven at Al-Ahli, coming off the bench in the last seven games. According to UOL, the former Liverpool striker is willing to give up his €22 million-a-year salary by leaving the club.

Henderson has been a champion of equal rights and coming to the support of the LGBTQ+ community. The move to Saudi Arabia was seen as a back turn to the LGBTQ+ community with Former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger, stating on social media “I did believe for a while that (Henderson’s) support for the (rainbow emoji) community would be genuine. Silly me.” Saudi Arabia is known throughout the world as having some of the worst treatment of women and LGBTQ+ community members.

Nonetheless, Henderson is set to earn a massive salary, one of many, with his move to the Saudi Pro League. Here is what Henderson makes compared to some of the other players on the Three Lions.

Henderson’s wages compared to England teammates

Henderson earns an estimated $47 million a year and has a three year deal, compared to Marcus Rashford who earns $482,000 a week. Jadon Sancho earns less than Rashford at $449,000 a week, Henderson beats Sancho by an estimated $450,000 a week.

Even Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is at the bottom of the barrel with wages of only $289,000 a week that is almost $600,000 less than the former Liverpool star. Harry Kane for example earns only $257,000 a week, while Phil Foden is at $321,000 a week.

Nonetheless after a television interview where Real Madrid President, Florentino Pérez, stated that if the league were not formed then “Football will die in 2024”, was met as being cynical and ridiculous by various pundits around the world, players that would be directly affected by the creation of the league have begun to voice their concerns.

According to the Daily Mail in England, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has begun to mobilize the other Premier League captains to gather for an emergency meeting to discuss the Super League and what the players response will be.

Jordan Henderson to lead Premiere League players response to the European Super League

Jordan Henderson is said to be trusted completely by the rest of the captains in the Premier League, and according to German outlet Bild was “increasingly doubtful” about the Super League in general due to the fans’ backlash to the announcement.

Liverpool, the team Henderson plays for, which is owned by the American sports company, Fenway Sports Group, which includes NBA superstar LeBron James, has been one of the clubs that has been hit the hardest by pundits in England and all over the world. Manchester United, which also has American owners has received fan protests outside the stadium grounds.

Henderson led the players response last season during the coronavirus pandemic to start a fund for health workers during the difficult pandemic. Now for the Super League Henderson, will lead the players in positioning themselves for future media questions and the players stance in general behind the new proposed league.

According to sources Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire was not happy that the players at the club found out about the Super League the same way the rest of the world were informed, via a press release on social media. Maguire also voiced his concerned that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left out to dry to face questions about the league directly after a league game.

How the Premier League players react to the Super League will be fundamental if the concept will even get off the ground after various reports that players could face bans, although FIFAPro will do what they can to protect player rights. Two Premier League clubs are said to have second thoughts about the creation of the Super League after media, player, and fan backlash.