Britain’s only openly gay professional footballer has sharply criticised former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson’s £700k-per-week move to Saudi Arabia as a flat contradiction of his former avowed support for the LGBTQ+ community.
This was a ‘slap in the face’, said Jake Daniels, who became Britain’s second openly gay professional footballer – since the late Justin Fashanu came out in 1990 – when he came out 18 months ago.
At that time, Daniels said, Henderson sent him a message of support, saying ‘We’re proud of what you’ve done’.
According to the Daily Mail, Henderson had been vocal in his support of the rainbow laces campaign and ending LGBTQ+ discrimination in football during his time at Anfield.
Daniels, a Blackpool player, said he had not heard from Henderson since he completed a £12million move to join Al-Ettifaq in July. Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited in Saudi Arabia.
Said Daniels: ‘Seeing him move to Saudi, it kind of like, slaps me in my face really. But I guess the money pays well, and money must mean more to people.’
The BBC reports that the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in football were highlighted by the decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal because it is considered immoral under Islamic Sharia law.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 tournament and the country’s Pro League has become increasingly appealing to footballers, the BBC reports.
It quotes Daniels as saying: ‘We were starting to see a bit of progress. Then the Qatar World Cup happens and we go back again.’
[Photo: Composite of screenshots]