Trent Alexander-Arnold is unashamedly a massive Liverpool fan and a lover of Steven Gerrard, so when he had the chance to make a gingerbread man of his favourite ever player – it was only ever going to be in the form of one man.

Competing against Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier, our No.66 had to impress Paul Hollywood with his baking skills.

READ MORE: Liverpool’s Premier League rivals face relegation if Everton point deduction stance stands – report

The whole video is a great watch and it’s sure to bring a smile to your face when you hear how much the West Derby-born pass master loves our former captain.

It’s also great to see the bond between the Al-Ettifaq midfielder and his ex-teammate, which is still clearly very much in place.

You can watch Trent Alexander-Arnold re-create Gerrard via Channel 4 Sport on YouTube:

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Jordan Henderson somehow escaped the judicial powers of the on-pitch official despite shoving Al-Nassr’s Otavio not once, not twice, but THRICE in their Saudi Pro League encounter.

The Englishman was on the losing side with Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq as Sadio Mane scored the sole goal on the day in a heated King Cup.

We’re not quite sure how the referee, in clear view of the altercation, opted to only issue a red card to Hazazi.

At the very least, it makes us feel slightly  (though only slightly) better about the officiating standards in the Premier League.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of SSC Extra (via @CristianoXtra_):

No card for Henderson after this..

The referee is really killing the game.

pic.twitter.com/vF0u6fm7UV

— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) October 31, 2023

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Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the best attacking threats in the Liverpool squad and he’s scored 16 goals in the 281 appearances for the Reds in his career so far but his next one may be a little different.

After James Maddison took to social media to share an image of his post-match celebrations against Fulham, he also tagged in our No.66, Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson.

READ MORE: Former Liverpool goalkeeper scores dramatic injury time equaliser

With the other two players already responding and seemingly joining in the trend of the salute celebration, perhaps the Scouser will follow suit when he next finds the back of the net.

You can view the images of Maddison, Henderson and Bellingham via their Instagram stories:

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Jordan Henderson is back in the headlines after being booed by England supporters and after Gareth Southgate claimed he didn’t understand why it happened, now the midfielder appears to be in the same boat.

The 32-year-old said (via BBC Sport): “It’s not nice, your own fans [booing]. I love playing for England, I have done for many years, that’s why I’m still here.”

Henderson, when asked if he understood why he was jeered, said: “Not really. I don’t know… if people want to boo if I’m playing in a different country, that’s fine.

READ MORE: (Video) Ex-Liverpool man bags international double against World Cup semi-finalists

“Everyone is going to have an opinion over [it] 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.

“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.

“I haven’t been surprised by that because I can understand the reasons in what they’re saying. I look at it from a different point of view, obviously.

“But I can understand it and I’ve got to take that on the chin.”

READ MORE: Harvey Elliott defends Jordan Henderson after England booing

The response of ‘not really’ understanding the abuse that came his way, shows how blinkered he and his manager are to this situation at present as it’s quite obvious what the issue is.

Our former captain says this isn’t the case but it does seem that he chose money over morals and now he’s having to pay the price for making that tough decision.

Harvey Elliott has come out in support of the midfielder and on a purely footballing basis, you can’t do anything but admire what the Sunderland-born veteran has done in the game.

READ MORE: (Video) Lloris and Martinez better than Alisson says TikTok user; can’t even pronounce their names

To think there’d be no backlash from playing in a country where the human rights are so far behind what we see in this country, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community, is nothing short of baffling.

Taking accountability and owning the situation may help a little but really, the wrongs that have been committed by our former No.14 will likely not be forgiven.

Making your bed and lying in it is probably the only way forward for the England international, so he’ll have to learn to deal with jeers whenever he represents his nation.

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Jordan Henderson’s exit from Liverpool caused mass debate within the footballing world and after England fans showed our former captain what they thought of his decision, Harvey Elliott has had his say.

The 20-year-old said (via The Mirror): “It’s upsetting, Hendo is a massive inspiration, not just to myself but to many around the world, for what he has done for England and English football it’s not nice to see.

“It’s his decision, it’s his career. As a nation we need to get behind these players and support them. It wasn’t nice, but knowing Hendo I’m sure it hasn’t fazed him.

READ MORE: (Video) Lloris and Martinez better than Alisson says TikTok user; can’t even pronounce their names

“He’s a positive-minded player and person. He just wants to do the best for himself in his career. Everyone is behind him.”

It’s clear that our No.19 really looks up to his former club captain and you can’t say that he hasn’t had an inspirational career for anyone connected to our club or this country.

However, the Sunderland-born midfielder decided that a move to Saudi Arabia was best for him and his family but the repercussions of this have been felt.

READ MORE: (Video) Xherdan Shaqiri proves Luis Diaz right with another worldie for Switzerland

To be booed by his own supporters inside Wembley would have hurt our former No.14 and for Gareth Southgate to say he didn’t understand the reasons for it – shows how blinkered they both seem to be.

The human rights within the middle eastern nation, particularly for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, is enough reason to be upset by the decision made by the 33-year-old.

You can’t disregard everything that came before a transfer to Al-Etttifaq and it’s nice to see ex-Anfield teammates backing their mate but this is a backlash entirely of Jordan Henderson’s making.

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Jordan Henderson made the controversial decision to accept an offer from Saudi Arabia this summer and it’s safe to say it’s changed the opinion of many when it comes to our former captain.

This was clear at Wembley when the Al-Ettifaq midfielder captained the side but was booed by the home supporters when he was substituted off the pitch and his manager Gareth Southgate shared his thoughts on this after the match.

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans will love Nunez’s response to penalty question

The 53-year-old said: “I really don’t understand it. He’s a player who has won 79 caps for England and his commitment and what he has delivered for England is exceptional.

“His role in the group on and off the pitch is phenomenally important – he’s the one that has taken the likes of Jude Bellingham under his wing since he came into the squad. He’s a brilliant role model for all of the group in his professionalism and his approach”.

READ MORE: (Video) Jota handed gilt-edged chance three minutes after coming on for Portugal

Whether you agree with the decision to jeer our former captain or not, to say that you don’t understand it is rather blinkered from the England manager when it’s clearly in relation to the human rights offences of the nation the player now lives in.

There were so many better places for the Sunderland-born veteran to have moved after Anfield but he now must face the consequences of his actions, whether they’re fair or not.

You can watch Southgate’s comments on Henderson (from 0:22) via HaytersTV on YouTube:

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Jordan Henderson made the controversial switch to Saudi Arabia this summer and, despite the atrocious human rights offences of the nation, has repeatedly stated that he’s not been asked to promote the country as part of his contract (via The Guardian).

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans will love watching Andre Onana make yet another mistake for Manchester United

However, a recent video has been posted by Asharq Al-Awsat that showed our former captain backing the Middle Eastern nation’s bid for the 2034 World Cup.

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There’s no reason to think that he has definitely been paid to do this but it’s certainly not something that the Sunderland-born midfielder would have done off his own back and suggests he is at least being asked to promote the country, whilst living and working there.

You can view the video of Henderson via @aawsat_spt on X:

| الإنجليزي هندرسون قائد منتخب إنجلترا وفريق #الاتفاق في حديث خاص لـ"الشرق الأوسط" بعد إعلان السعودية نية الترشح لاستضافة مونديال 2034.#السعودية2034 pic.twitter.com/GOV06AIF1b

— الشرق الأوسط – رياضة (@aawsat_spt) October 5, 2023

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Ryan Gravenberch netted his first goal for Liverpool just before half-time in tonight’s Europa League clash against Union Saint-Gilloise, but it’s by no means his first meaningful contribution in a red shirt.

The 21-year-old had already provided two assists since his deadline day move from Bayern Munich five weeks ago, both of which came in his previous starts for the Reds against LASK and Leicester.

As noted by Theo Squires on X, the Dutchman wasted little time in equalling the goal contributions tally of one of his midfield predecessors from the entirety of last season.

The journalist posted: “In just three starts for #LFC, Ryan Gravenberch has equalled the total goal contributions Jordan Henderson produced from 43 appearances in his final season at Anfield.”

In just three starts for #LFC, Ryan Gravenberch has equalled the total goal contributions Jordan Henderson produced from 43 appearances in his final season at Anfield.

1⃣2⃣
0⃣ 3⃣#LFC #LIVUSG https://t.co/TK0EgUhdh1 pic.twitter.com/VizO3kluOU

— Theo Squires (@TheoSquiresECHO) October 5, 2023

READ MORE: (Video) Ryan Gravenberch nets first Liverpool goal after Union SG keeper’s horror moment

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Prior to tonight, Gravenberch had played just 162 minutes for Liverpool (Transfermarkt), a tally which reached 206 by the time he found the net against Union SG.

That’s still less than 10% of the 2,558 that Henderson played in his final season at Anfield, with the Englishman claiming three assists and failing to find the net at all in 2022/23 (Transfermarkt).

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One of the biggest criticism of the Reds’ midfield last term was the glaring lack of scoring impact, with Harvey Elliott the only player in that area of the pitch to net more than three times, ending the campaign with five goals (Transfermarkt).

The early signs from Gravenberch are that he could easily match or surpass the 20-year-old’s tally in his first season for Liverpool, especially if he shows the same goalscoring instincts which enabled him to latch onto the loose ball for his opener tonight.

Having already matched Henderson’s goal contributions tally from 2022/23, the Dutchman looks like quite the upgrade in the middle of the park!

#Ep93 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay

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Bobby Firmino and Jordan Henderson won it all as teammates at Liverpool before heading to the Middle East this summer and the two Anfield legends were reunited yesterday as they faced off in the Saudi Pro League.

Firmino, whose contract had expired with Jurgen Klopp’s side, joined Al-Ahli in the summer while our former captain Henderson moved to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in a deal worth £12m.

The spoils were shared as two sides played out a goalless draw and we’re sure the two ex-Reds had a proper catch up after the game!

Check the pair embracing each other in the tunnel before the game via @LFCTransferRoom on X (courtesy of RSL):

Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson reuniting as Al Ahli took on Al Ettifaq yesterday pic.twitter.com/xuWFur4k1E

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) October 1, 2023

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Curtis Jones was handed the armband by Jurgen Klopp for our Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City and he immediately ensured that he made his mark on the team, before the game even kicked off.

READ MORE: (Video) Harvey Elliott’s reaction to the final whistle against Leicester City will have Liverpool fans confused

As ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rang out around Anfield, the Scouser beckoned his teammates towards him and initiated a huddle in the middle of his own half.

This is not something that we saw Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner or Trent Alexander-Arnold do before and it’s a great insight into how seriously the 22-year-old took his role.

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Let’s hope he has plenty more opportunities to be our skipper in the future and that he can go on to be a long-serving member of his team.

You can watch the footage of the huddle (from 3:00) courtesy of LFC TV GO (or via @vana1271614 on X):

my team 🥹 pic.twitter.com/4aGKGrIUC0

— ✪ (@vana1271614) September 27, 2023

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Jordan Henderson may have ended his stay at Liverpool but it’s clear he still has a lot of love for his former club and teammates, with his latest interview providing another insight into this.

Speaking with SSC Sports, the Sunderland-born midfielder was asked who the best player in the world is and said: “The best player in the world, from my point of view, would have to be Mo Salah – 100%.

“Maybe I’m a little bit biased because he’s my friend but I’ve seen the dedication, the sacrifice he has every single day on training ground, his consistency of performances, scoring his goals – that’s why for me at the moment – he is the best player in the world”.

READ MORE: (Video) “How have we not referenced…” – Richards trolls Carragher with brutal Liverpool put down

Few on Merseyside (of a red persuasion) will argue with the comments made by our former captain and although we never had the best campaign as a club last time out, the Egyptian King was at his best again.

Should we be able to end the new season with significant silverware, then Mo Salah could find himself in the mix for trophies like the Ballon d’Or – something his career performances certainly deserve.

You can watch Henderson’s comments on Salah via @ssc_sports on X:

هندرسون النجم العالمي وقائد فريق الاتفاق في حوار خاص مع #برا_18:

من وجهة نظري أفضل لاعب في العالم حاليًا "محمد صلاح"#SSC pic.twitter.com/kHoM1D2r1F

— شركة الرياضة السعودية SSC (@ssc_sports) September 19, 2023

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Jordan Henderson’s Anfield departure gathered even more attention during the international break and now Jurgen Klopp has been asked to share his thoughts on the transfer.

Speaking with the media, the German said: “Hendo said the truth. That’s how it was. We had talks, I told him I wanted him to stay but we talked about maybe not playing regularly…

“I can’t tell a player they can have 50 games because I don’t know that… Hendo, I love him but he was not great when he didn’t play. Milner and Lucas were the same…

READ MORE: Liverpool’s league-topping unbeaten run at risk with worrying 12:30 statistic – opinion

“So in Hendo’s ears and mind, he thought I didn’t want him there. If I said Hendo would be the main man for me he would stay, but I couldn’t. That’s why it’s better he moved on.”

The final five words seem to show that our boss is done with this discussion now and, although the Sunderland-born midfielder clearly didn’t want the role of a squad player, an honest discussion led to a quick ending.

You have to respect the decision made by both men, even if the destination of our ex-captain is controversial, and that it showed the mutual respect they have for each other.

You can watch Klopp’s comments on Henderson (from 6:35) via BeanymanSports:

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The post (Video) Klopp shares candid thoughts on Henderson departure: ‘Milner and Lucas were the same’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool have a rather unwanted strong connection with Saudi Arabia, given the presence of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane in their attempted challenge of the football hierarchy but some concerns have come from this.

It was reported by Nick Ames in The Guardian that: ‘European clubs are seeking guarantees that they will be paid the huge transfer fees agreed with Saudi Arabian clubs in full after a summer of unprecedented spending that has reshaped the transfer market’.

Given the sales of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League, we would seemingly be one of those who are fearing the full fees not being paid – a reported total of £52 million (via Football Insider).

READ MORE: (Video) Sports agent weighs in on Henderson debate; says move wasn’t for the money

Speaking with Football Insider, finance expert Kieran Maguire eased these concerns and claimed: “Clubs in Saudi Arabia will be under pressure to ensure that all signings and payments are made appropriately.

“They are fully aware that their proposal to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034 is being considered.

“Given that Fifa monitors all outstanding international transfer debts, it would look very poor if there were a significant number of clubs from the Saudi Pro League who had not honoured their financial commitments.

READ MORE: Van Dijk ‘on his last legs’ – Dutch media tear into Virgil during international break

“So I don’t see this as being an issue going forwards.

“The metrics and optics of failing to pay would look so bad that it could potentially scupper a Saudi World Cup bid.“

Therefore, it seems that we shouldn’t be too concerned that Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad won’t pay the Reds what they owe for two of our former midfield stars because they have so much riding on making the payments.

READ MORE: (Video) Defensive heroics deny Harvey Elliott beauty; left the ‘keeper for dead

If this sports washing attempt from those in the Middle East is to be completed, they will want a World Cup to show off their riches and improved football excellence.

To do that, we and many others will need to be paid in full otherwise a bid will be outright rejected at the outset.

Let’s hope this proves true in terms of money although a future where the Saudi Pro League continues to dominate world football – could well be a worrying one.

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The post Saudi World Cup bid may hinge partly on £52m Liverpool payment – report appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jordan Henderson has put himself in the spotlight with a move to Saudi Arabia and many have weighed in with their opinion on his decision but he’s now had some support for the transfer to the Middle East.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Football News Show, sports agent Nick Robinson said: “Someone like Jordan Henderson who’s won absolutely everything in the game and has basically peaked in terms of his Premier League career, I think your decision is, seperate from the financial gain:

“‘Do I want to see myself over the next two years possibly dwindling in terms of game time, possibly be transferred to a mid or lower-level Premier League team, or possibly to the Championship and working my way down the leagues?’.

READ MORE: Van Dijk ‘on his last legs’ – Dutch media tear into Virgil during international break

“Or, ‘Do I want to go and compete at a very vibrant, very up-and-coming league, with some of the best players in the world and certainly all of the eyes of the world, to go and win some more trophies and have some new life experiences?’.”

It’s certainly a fair argument to make that a move to play with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bobby Firmino, is possibly more exciting than a lower league club like Everton or dropping down the leagues to a Tranmere Rovers.

However, our former captain wasn’t on the brink of retirement and he was still Jurgen Klopp’s captain with a lot to add to our side.

His decision has caused debate and will continue to do so but at the very least, the Sunderland-born midfielder has sullied his legacy at Anfield for some and it’s hard to say it wasn’t in the search of money.

You can watch Robinson’s comments on Henderson via BBC Sport:

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Joe Cole has claimed that Gareth Southgate has been put in a ‘difficult situation’ following Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.

The former Liverpool skipper moved to the Middle East to join up with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq side in the Saudi Pro League.

A lot has been made of the England international’s move to the Gulf Nation, especially due to the support he has previously shown to the LGBTQ+ community, and ex-Red Cole believes Henderso’s Three Lions future is ‘in jeopardy’.

“From a footballing perspective, I can understand why it puts Gareth in a difficult position,” Cole told Channel 4 (as quoted by Daily Mail).

“When you’re competing with the players Henderson is competing with – Rice, Bellingham, Ward-Prowse, Phillips – they are all playing in the Champions League [and Europa League].

READ MORE: Why Liverpool will be more motivated than ever to challenge for Premier League title – report

“Is he going to be as sharp as he was? You have to remember the margins that England went out with against France at the last World Cup.

“You have to be so sharp, every player on the pitch. Henderson will know he’s put his England future in jeopardy.”

Henderson remains a quality midfielder and there’s no doubt that he still could’ve remained at Anfield albeit as more of a squad player.

After winning every major trophy at Anfield and captaining the Reds for eight years, however, he instead decided to head to Saudi and pick up a whopping £700,000 a week.

In an interview completed with The Athletic recently the Sunderland-born midfielder claimed that his move to the Middle East had nothing to do with money but Cole believes our No. 14 ‘slipped up’ by speaking about finances.

“Of course I can understand [why LGBTQ+ fans are upset],” he added. “I see it from both sides. It’s difficult to talk about.

“I think where Jordan slipped up is afterwards when he said he wasn’t going there for the money. It’s a huge contract.

“As an individual, he has the right if he wants to earn that kind of money and bring it back. He could be doing lots of work in the community with that.

“Look, Jordan is a good lad at heart. He’s represented Liverpool and England very well. It’s difficult to talk about.”

At the end of day Henderson was a brilliant captain for Liverpool and he can be proud of everything he achieved during his time at the club.

It’s a shame that there’s so much controversy regarding his decision to move to Al Ettifaq – it’s not as if he’s the only player to have moved there in recent times!

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