German referee Dr. Felix Brych has recalled his run-ins with Liverpool and their former captain Jordan Henderson, who could be on the move this summer
Jordan Henderson confronts referee Dr. Felix Brych after the final whistle of the Champions League semi-final first-leg match between Liverpool and Roma at Anfield
Jordan Henderson confronts referee Dr. Felix Brych after the final whistle of the Champions League semi-final first-leg match between Liverpool and Roma at Anfield
Jordan Henderson will go down as a Liverpool legend. How could he not after he captained the club to every major domestic, European and world honour during his 12 seasons at Anfield.
But the midfielder has never really had a chance to say goodbye to supporters after his shock move to Al-Ettifaq in the summer of 2023.
Henderson lasted less than half a season in Saudi Arabia before he returned to European football with Ajax, where has been playing since January 2024. However, he could well be heading back to England.
His boyhood club Sunderland as well as Nottingham Forest are said to be interested in the 35-year-old with reports suggesting he has a clause in his contract that could see him leave Ajax for free before mid-July.
Henderson, who has been recalled to the England squad under Thomas Tuchel, would almost certainly get a warm reception should he return to Liverpool next season with another Premier League club.
But the 35-year-old wasn't always popular with referees during his decorated Reds career with one legendary official Dr. Felix Brych, jokingly calling him a 'troublemaker'.
The German official, who retired at the end of the season, previously recalled some of his previous run-ins with Henderson as well as his then deputy James Milner.
“I got along with all the players very well, but in every game there was always my troublemaker,” Brych told talkSPORT.
“Looking back on many games at Anfield with Liverpool, when I saw Jordan Henderson, I knew I had to keep an eye on him.
“''Come on it’s not a foul, you can do it in Germany, but in England we want to let the game flow'. It was always this kind of trash talk, but I liked it and I got used to it. It was fun and games.
“He was talking all throughout the game. Also, James Milner. Sometimes he was quiet, sometimes he was talking a lot and like you do, you talk in a different way.
“In Germany, talking is much more aggressive. In England you talk in a different way, I knew that before the game."
Brych also admitted his relationship with Jurgen Klopp changed after the former Liverpool manager left the Bundesliga.
“I met Jurgen Klopp in Germany 20 years ago, but in England it was a different relationship with him,” he conceded.
“If you know someone better than the others, they think you might favour them. I cannot give any kind of bonus to anybody."