Jordan Henderson has admitted he felt 'unwanted' at Liverpool, but his move to Saudi Arabia wasn't all about money.
Henderson made the controversial decision to swap Merseyside for the Middle East over the summer, when he moved to Saudi side Al-Ettifaq – who are managed by Reds legend Steven Gerrard.
The midfielder admitted he knew he wasn't going to be a regular part of Jurgen Klopp's plans for the upcoming season. And while the former Liverpool captain claimed he did work hard to get in the best possible shape and change Klopp's mind, the situation hadn't altered after pre-season.
Speaking to The Athletic, Henderson said: "At that moment, I felt as though my value or the want for me to stay, with the manager and within the club, maybe it had shifted."
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Henderson moved to Al-Ettifaq, but he added: "If one of those people said to me, 'Now we want you to stay', then we wouldn’t be having this conversation… Now, that's not to say that they forced me out of the club or they were saying they wanted me to leave but at no point did I feel wanted by the club or anyone to stay."
However, the England star insisted his move to Saudi Arabia wasn't all about finances – and he only wanted a project that would excite him, like what Gerrard was building.
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He added: "I wanted something that would excite me… It needed to be something that I felt as though I could add value in and do and try something new – a new challenge and for different reasons!"
Henderson said he liked the idea of helping football in Saudi Arabia get off the ground, as well as playing in a "totally different" culture and league.
The ex-Liverpool man continued: "People can believe me or not, but in my life and my career, money has never been a motivation. Ever.
"Don’t get me wrong, when you move, the business deal has to be tight. You have to have financials, you have to feel wanted, you have to feel valued. And money is a part of that.
"But that wasn’t the sole reason."
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