England midfielder Jordan Henderson has reaffirmed his dedication to playing for his country after captaining the side in a 1-0 friendly win over Australia on Friday despite his disappointment at being booed by home fans when substituted.
Henderson was named skipper with Harry Kane rested and the 33-year-old, who has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, played for 62 minutes before being taken off at Wembley.
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Henderson moved to the Saudi Pro League from Liverpool on a three-year deal in July. The switch to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal, made headlines as Henderson has long been a vocal supporter of the LGBT community.
“It’s not nice, your own fans, if they were booing. But listen, people have got their own opinions,” Henderson told Sky Sports. “...it won’t change who I am and what I do for this team and for my country. I give absolutely everything every time.
“I still want to play for England for as long as I possibly can and give everything for the team, for my country.”
Henderson acknowledged the reactions to his move to Al-Ettifaq, saying: “I look at it from a different point of view, obviously. But I can understand it and I’ve got to take that on the chin.”
He also repeated his support for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announcement that it intends to bid for the 2034 World Cup after Qatar staged the finals last year.
“When we look at Qatar, the way that they did the job there. It was a good tournament, I think the fans enjoyed the tournament and I think Saudi would be no different.
“So I think that’s exciting times for them (Saudi Arabia) as a country and I think it will be a special tournament if they ended up getting it.”
England next hosts Italy in a key Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday.
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