Jordan Henderson has apologised for any hurt he has caused to the LGBTQ+ community and insists his move to Saudi Arabia can help the gay rights movement.
The England midfielder was a high-profile and vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights as Liverpool captain but has been heavily criticised after agreeing to a lucrative switch to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq.
In an interview with The Athletic, the 33-year-old said the angry reaction to his move to a country which criminalises homosexuality has hurt him and that he hopes his presence in Saudi Arabia can help bring about positive change.
He also revealed he would not "rule out" wearing rainbow laces while playing for Al-Ettifaq.
Henderson said: "I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I'm sorry that they feel like that.
"My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help."
When told England’s LGBTQ+ fan group Pride in Football had urged its followers to turn their backs on him, Henderson said: "It hurts to hear that.
"I do care. I’m not one of these people who goes home, forgets about everything and is just like, 'I’m fine, my family is fine, just crack on’. I do think about things a lot.
"But at the same time, I knew people can look at it like that and they’re entitled to their opinion, they’re entitled to feel like that. All I can say is that I apologise, I’m sorry that I’ve made them feel that way. But I haven’t changed as a person."
Henderson said he understands the criticism he received, but insists his values and beliefs have not changed.
"All I’ve ever tried to do is help. And when I’ve been asked for help, I’ve gone above and beyond to help," he said.
"I’ve worn the laces. I’ve worn the armband. I’ve spoken to people in that community to try to use my profile to help them. That’s all I’ve ever tried to do."
"My values don't change because I’m going to a different country where the laws of the country might be different"
Henderson, who insisted he would not have agreed to the £12million move if Liverpool had wanted him to stay, said: "I have never tried to change laws or rules in England, never mind in a different country where I’m not from. So I’m not saying that I’m going there to do that.
"But what I’m saying is people know what my values are and the people who know me know what my values are. And my values don’t change because I’m going to a different country where the laws of the country might be different.
"Now, I see that as a positive thing. I see that because, from their (Saudi) side, they knew that before signing it. So they knew what my beliefs were.
"They knew what causes and campaigns I’ve done in the past and not once was it brought up. Not once have they said, ‘You can do this, you can’t do this’.
"And I think it can only be a positive thing to try to open up like around Qatar. In the end, around Qatar, having a World Cup there (in 2022) shined a light on certain issues where I think in the end, I might be wrong, but they changed some rules and regulations to be able to host the World Cup and I think that’s positive. That’s the way you try to create positive change."
Al-Ettifaq were widely criticised for appearing to censor Henderson’s support for the LGBTQ+ movement by greying out his rainbow armband on an image of the player when announcing his signing on social media.
When asked if he would still wear his rainbow laces, Henderson said: "I wouldn’t rule that out. But at the same time, what I wouldn’t do is disrespect the religion and culture in Saudi Arabia.
"By doing something like that, if that did disrespect the religion, then no, I’m not going to do that. But if the opportunity comes where I can do it and it doesn’t, then yeah, because that’s my values."
Henderson, who dismissed reports he was earning £700,000 a week, said he has not been asked to promote Saudi Arabia on social media as part of his deal.
"It feels like it's a way of him trying to rebuild his image and nothing he’s said is either convincing or makes any kind of difference"
Co-chair of Pride in Football and the co-founder of Three Lions Pride Joe White said Henderson's latest comments have not helped mend relations.
White said: "His presence could actually be more harmful to local LGBT people if he does speak out because the people who do get impacted on aren’t high-profile footballers, they’re your standard LGBT people who will then get the backlash.
"We saw in Qatar (at last year’s World Cup). It’s fine to say you support these things, but actually there was no action. Nothing changed. There was a horrendous atmosphere on the ground in Qatar for LGBT people. Nothing changed. It was actually more amplified in negativity."
"It feels like it’s a way of him trying to rebuild his image and nothing he’s said is either convincing or makes any kind of difference. It just re-establishes the disappointment.
"It feels very much like a 'saviour complex’ and it’s just frustrating that at no point has he spoken to LGBT people or LGBT Saudis. Has he thought of the wider impact?
"He talks about not being a politician. You don’t need to be a politician to learn, consult and be fully informed on the impact of a decision that you’re going to make."
Amnesty International said it was "glaringly obvious" that Henderson's move to Al-Ettifaq "falls squarely within Saudi Arabia’s mega-money sports-washing project".
Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director Peter Frankental said: "Like other footballers who’ve made the move to Saudi Arabia, we’ve urged Henderson to counter the sports-washing effect and use his privileged status to speak out about human rights issues in the country."
Frankental added: "Having respect for a country’s religion and culture shouldn’t mean turning a blind eye to serious human rights violations like the criminalisation of homosexuality or the jailing of human rights defenders."
Stonewall, which began the Rainbow Laces campaign a decade ago, accused Henderson of "abandoning the cause".
"LGBTQ+ rights are backsliding globally and, amidst a climate of disinformation and hostility, we know that it isn't as easy for allies to support LGBTQ+ people publicly as it was a few years ago," said Liz Ward, director of programmes at Stonewall, in a statement.
"However, it has never been more important. Which is why it is disappointing when we see those who have been happy to fly our flags and lace up in rainbow while the sun is shining abandon the cause when it suits them.
"Visible allyship is important, but Rainbow Laces have never just been 'the laces’ or ‘the armband’ – it’s a mindset."
