Jordan Henderson signs for Brentford as former Liverpool captain reveals reasons behind Premier League return

Brentford have confirmed the signing of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson on a free transfer.

Henderson has returned to the Premier League after he left Liverpool in 2023 for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.

However, the experienced midfielder left the Saudi Pro League side just six months later, paving the way for him to complete a move to Ajax.

Henderson made 57 competitive appearances for the Dutch giants, before it was recently revealed that the two parties had reached an agreement to terminate the player's contract one year early.

Brentford have moved quickly to snap up Henderson on a free transfer, announcing that he has put pen to paper on a two-year deal until the summer of 2027.

Jordan Henderson back in the @PremierLeague ? pic.twitter.com/5dwRDVcZhs

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) July 15, 2025

Henderson reveals why he chose Brentford

The 35-year-old has admitted that it was an "easy decision" to join the West London club after speaking to director of football Phil Giles, technical director Lee Dykes, and new head coach Keith Andrews.

“I’m delighted that I’m here; I’m very excited to get started and get going," Henderson told the club's official media channels.

“I’ve always had huge admiration for the club and what they’ve achieved over the last few years, in particular, how they’ve grown as a club. I’ve been told how organised and well-run the club is, it’s very family-oriented, which I think is very important.

“When I spoke to Phil, Lee and Keith, I just had a really good feeling about everything. As soon as I had that conversation, it was clear for me that I wanted to come here and it was an easy decision in the end.

“When I spoke to Keith a few times, he was very good and very honest, and he’s excited to get started as well. He was another big reason why I wanted to come and try to help the club keep moving forward.”

Leader. Winner. ? pic.twitter.com/GGoxAqXmVw

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) July 15, 2025

Andrews explains "simple" Henderson decision

Henderson will strengthen a midfield that has been weakened by Christian Norgaard's recent move to Arsenal. 

The England international will also bring plenty of experience to the table, having previously made 431 Premier League appearances during his time at Liverpool and Sunderland. 

Andrews admitted that Henderson's experience was one of the factors behind the move to bring the midfielder back to the Premier League. 

“When we became aware of Jordan’s availability, it was a pretty simple decision," Andrews said. “We did our due diligence around his recent games to see where he is: he’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot.

“With the void of experienced players leaving the building - Norgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee - it was important to replace that.

“We’ve got a pretty young squad, overall, and we’ve got a lot of club experience, which is really important, with the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Ethan Pinnock and Josh Dasilva, who is still at the club doing rehab.

“But what Jordan will bring is that he has been one of the most influential leaders in the modern Premier League years. He’s been at the forefront of driving for titles and Champions Leagues at a fantastic football club.

“He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession - that’s the exact way we want to be as a football club."

Henderson has become Brentford's latest summer addition, following the arrivals of Antoni Milambo, Michael Kayode, Romelle Donovan and his former Liverpool teammate Caoimhin Kelleher.