“Sellout” Jordan Henderson blasted for following David Beckham’s lead as banner taken down
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is facing a renewed backlash after his move to Al-Ettifaq took a step closer.
The Reds have now agreed a £12million fee with the Saudi Pro League side for their skipper, who will sign a three-year deal worth £700,000 per week. Henderson’s move to the Middle East country comes despite him being a vocal ally of the LGBT+ community.
Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, with the LGBT+ community even facing the death penalty. He is treading a similar path to David Beckham, who was once lauded as a gay icon, but then became an ambassador for Qatar, another repressive state towards the community.
The comparisons have not gone unnoticed, with England’s LGBT+ fans group Three Lions Pride now branding Henderson a “sellout”. The group had created a banner in his honour after he scored his first international goal while wearing rainbow laces.
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But that banner will now be taken down, with Three Lions Pride insisting that the midfielder is no better than the former England captain. In a tweet, the group said of Henderson’s move: “Beyond disappointed. A sell out like Becks. Looks like we’re back to one banner.”
Three Lions Pride previously took aim at Beckham ahead of last year’s World Cup. Beckham had agreed a 10-year deal to promote Qatar, a country which is one of the most repressive on Earth towards the LGBT+ community.
His representation of the Middle East state came despite him having become the first footballer to appear on the cover of Attitude, a leading gay magazine. His decision to then accept money from Qatar was blasted by Three Lions Pride co-founder Di Cunningham.
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Jordan Henderson is facing a renewed backlash as his move to Saudi Arabia progresses (
Image:
John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“One of the difficulties is having people taking the money in order to promote Qatar and the World Cup,” she said in November. “I’m just so disappointed because we – the LGBTQ+ football family – have put David Beckham on a pedestal, as a great ally.
“And then it turns out that he’s taking a lot of money to be an ambassador for this World Cup, and that’s incredibly disappointing. So I really hope that the message has got through that people will be criticised for that.”
This is also not the first time that Three Lions Pride have taken aim at Henderson’s decision to move to Saudi. Last week, the group released a statement taking aim at his much-lauded status as an LGBT+ Ally.
Three Lions Pride say the banner will be taken down (
Image:
twitter.com/3Lionspride)
It read: “‘Ally’ is a term that is easy to self-affirm, with little or no actual action and often is only relevant until the going gets tough or standing up for inclusion starts having personal consequences.
“Once again, our existence and the concept of ‘allyship’ towards us is feeble in comparison to a vast pay check. The ability to say the right words when they are easy and abandon them when money talks or times get tough is exactly why the term ‘ally’ is outdated and ineffective.
“Do better. Be a champion of equality, of our rights and inclusion. Champions fight when times are tough, they earn that title with determination. Actions speak far louder than some kind words.”
