British professional footballer who came out angry with Jordan Henderson after controversial transfer: “It’s a slap in the face”

Jordan Henderson faced a lot of criticism after moving to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia last summer, as he has openly expressed his support for the LGTBQ community in the past. Also for Jake Daniels, the only active British professional footballer to have come out, Henderson’s decision was “a slap in the face”. Especially because Henderson sent him a message after his coming out.

In May 2022, Jake Daniels came out as a British professional footballer. The then 17-year-old player from second division Blackpool said that he was… coming out felt confident and happy. Daniels received many positive reactions after he announced that he liked men, including a private message from Liverpool and England captain Jordan Henderson. “He supported me and said: We are proud of what you do,” Daniels said at the time.

Henderson also openly supported the LGTBQ community on several occasions.

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Henderson played with a rainbow captain’s armband at Liverpool last year. — © REUTERS

Yet the message to Daniels left a bitter aftertaste a year later. In July 2023, Henderson switched to the Saudi Al-Ettifaq. As everyone knows by now, Saudi Arabia does not take human rights and LGBTQ rights in particular very seriously. Homosexuality is even punishable there. The fact that Henderson decided to play football in Saudi Arabia – in exchange for a lot of money, of course – is not acceptable to Daniels. “Seeing him make the move to Saudi Arabia was a slap in the face. But they will pay well and money probably means more to certain people,” he is cynical.

Henderson received a lot of criticism after his transfer to Saudi Arabia, which he said hit him hard. The 81-time England international defended himself by saying his intention had “always been to help causes and communities and he had not changed as a person.”

Jake Daniels. — © CameraSport via Getty Images

World Cups in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Daniels also says that coming out was the best thing he ever did and that he is now a better football player because of it. “It’s been crazy since I told you. I didn’t think it would be such big news. The reception I’ve had and the people I’ve met, it’s been an amazing experience.”

Although sometimes things happen in the football world that go against the progress being made regarding LGBTQ rights. “We started to see a bit of progress and then the World Cup takes place in Qatar and we take a few steps back. If I were involved in the World Cup I wouldn’t feel safe and that puts my football at risk,” said Daniels. He is also undoubtedly disappointed by the fact that the World Cup will be organized in Saudi Arabia in 2034.

Finally, Daniels hopes that he will be followed. “I would like to see another top footballer come out of the closet. Players in the Premier League are obviously under so much more pressure and there are so many more eyes on them, but I feel like more footballers coming out would be a start.”

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