As a young player, Jordan Henderson was notorious for his big mouth. Opponents and team-mates alike remember how he immediately barked commands, curses and insults across the pitch after his breakthrough at Sunderland AFC. He later moved to Liverpool FC, where he matured into a role model in twelve years because of his self-sacrificing style of play and his comparatively down-to-earth nature. From 2015, “Hendo”, as his coach Jürgen Klopp called him like a friend, led the team as captain. Together they won the league, FA Cup and Champions League.
A cheeky talent had not only become an English football star, but also a professional with knowledge of the world outside the football bubble. He wore a rainbow captain’s armband at Liverpool and otherwise used his public profile to make the LGBT community heard. During the 2022 European Women’s Championship, he appeared in England’s national team shirt at training. Cool action, cool guy. Just a year later, the image he has built is in tatters.
