Blackpool’s Jake Daniels says Jordan Henderson’s Saudi move was a ‘slap in the face’

Blackpool’s Jake Daniels says Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia was a ‘slap in the face’ after he had offered support.

Daniels last year became the first openly gay active British male professional footballer since Justin Fashanu in 1990, and received a message of support from Hendo.

The ex-Liverpool captain was a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community before his decision to join Al Ettifaq from Liverpool in the summer. Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state.

Blackpool forward Jake Daniels says Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia was a “slap in the face”#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/bx3c1rw5Ez

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 22, 2023

‘I’m a gay man and I love being a gay man… it’s an amazing feeling!’

You can’t underestimate how much of a game-changer it is to hear a male professional footballer say those words.

Our chat with @BlackpoolFC’s Jake Daniels is out now.

Do listen.

🎧 | https://t.co/SUdGBouWLk pic.twitter.com/ValCuKmfjC

— Jack Murley (@jack_murley) November 22, 2023

Speaking via BBC‘s Newsbeat, Jake Daniels said: “He (Henderson) messaged me when I came out. He was backing me and said: ‘We’re proud of what you’ve done.’ And seeing him move to Saudi, it kind of like, slaps me in my face really.

“Obviously it was frustrating. But I guess the money pays well, and money must mean more to people.”

Henderson had written a long piece for the Liverpool matchday programme in November 2021, where he expressed support for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.

Henderson said that he had been “really hurt” by the criticism he has received, and says his intentions have “always been to help causes and communities” and that he had not “changed as a person”.

But Daniels feels frustrated at seeing ex-Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard also become Al-Ettifaq’s manager in July.

He went on: “I met him in person and he said: ‘If you ever want to get in contact then message me’ – but he moved over.”

Despite switching in favour of life in the Saudi Pro League, Henderson continues to be picked by England manager Gareth Southgate, however in recent matches, the player tends to get booed by fans, while others have shown support.

Speaking last month, Henderson said he found that reaction from fans “disappointing” although insisted it wouldn’t impact his commitment to playing for his country.

LGBTQ+ supporters groups associated with both Liverpool and England have criticised his decision to move, with Saudi Arabia’s human rights record in mind, and the fact homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia.

Henderson says: “It won’t change who I am and what I do for this team and for my country. I give absolutely everything every time.

“Everybody has got their own opinion,” on the boos. “I love playing for England, I have done for many years, that’s why I’m still here. I still want to play for England for as long as I possibly can and give everything for the team, for my country.

“It’s not nice, your own fans, if they were booing. But listen, people have got their own opinions. Whenever I bump into anyone on the street it’s always been positive stuff and nice things said.

“But listen, it won’t change who I am and what I do for this team and for my country. I give absolutely everything every time.”

When questioned if he understood why people were booing, he said: “Erm, not really. I don’t know… do you?”

He was told it may be because of his move to Saudi Arabia, to which he replied: “Yeah, so… if people want to boo if I’m playing in a different country, that’s fine. Like I said, everyone is going to have an opinion over when I’m playing over in Saudi.

“I’ve spoken in the past about the reasons for that. Whether people believe us or not is up to them.

“But when I’m here with England, it doesn’t change anything. I give absolutely everything. Of course it’s disappointing, but it won’t change what I do here. I want to keep playing and keep fighting and help the team become successful.”

Daniels has also talked to the BBC about struggleing with his mental health over a six-month period prior to accepting his sexuality and come out.

“Having a lot of male friends at school made it feel like it was bad to be gay – and that obviously made it difficult because it felt like if I came out there, I’d be losing all my friends,” he said.

“I was around football 24/7 because that was the only thing that took my mind away from everything else.”

“It has been crazy since coming out,” Daniels adds. “I didn’t think it would blow up as much as it did. The reception I’ve had, the people I’ve met, it’s been a crazy experience.

“Coming out was the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m playing better now.

“It was going into the unknown, that’s what it was,” Daniels told the BBC’s LGBT Sport Podcast.

“There were times where I wondered if this was going to affect the moves that I get. If I go out on loan, am I going to be scared to be in a dressing room with older people who might have a different view on gay males?

“There were a lot of things to consider but I was getting injured, I wasn’t eating properly, I wasn’t sleeping. It just made everything so much worse. I just knew that I had to come out.”

“We were starting to see a bit of progress,” said Daniels. “Then the Qatar World Cup happens and we go back again.

“If I was involved in the World Cup and went over, I wouldn’t feel safe, and that’s putting my football in jeopardy.

“I’d like to see another top-flight footballer come out as gay,” he said.

“Premier League players obviously have so much more pressure on them and so many more eyes on them, but I just feel that to have more footballers come out would be the start of it.

“We’d have a little group that could push things. I want to be a role model, but I also want to change the game as much as I can.”

There was plenty of reaction after Blackpool’s Jake Daniels says Jordan Henderson’s Saudi move was a ‘slap in the face’…

@stuferthecat: He’s spot on, absolute hypocrites Henderson and Gerrard…

@TomHughes22: Here’s your legacy, Jordan. Hope the Saudi money was worth it. Dickhead.

@Tommysmithbfc10: Whats it got to do with you what other people do with their lives ?

@caseyjxyne: people in the replies saying “if they offered you the same price you’d move as well”… really don’t think he would considered he’d be imprisoned x

@ElliottThomasG1: A scathing criticism of Hendo here, but hard to disagree with Daniels.

@samsonmcmuffin: Jordan Henderson is a parody. Everything that’s wrong with modern day virtue signalling. You can’t pretend to be a vegan and then eat your lunch at KFC.

@OIiverlmao: This is the most important, and perhaps only viewpoint that matters regarding Henderson. I hope he is truly ashamed

@jack_scholes: Jordan Henderson has no class and does not deserve to wear the England shirt. his advocation for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ in football was groundbreaking. for him to transfer to Saudi Arabia after this advocation makes me feel empty. i want him nowhere near the squad for Germany.

@LFCJacobb: He’s gonna get cooked but he’s spot on honestly

@WHUFC_HUB: Well done on him for calling out Henderson says one thing and does another

@danielbowyer14: @JHenderson is the biggest hypocrite in football

@danielstorey85: Jordan Henderson can pretend all he likes that he’s out there doing good, but when people like Jake Daniels express their anger at him moving to Saudi Arabia, that becomes the legacy.