Jordan Henderson could well be in the referee’s ear again on Saturday when the Liverpool legend faces his former club for the first time since leaving Anfield
14:36, 24 Oct 2025Updated 14:38, 24 Oct 2025
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(Image: Getty Images)
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 he had been playing since January 2024 until this summer.
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After the Dutch club agreed to end his contract a year early, the England international signed a two-year contract with Brentford despite significant interest from other clubs in the Premier League and around Europe.
Henderson has been in fantastic form for the Bees and on Saturday he will face his former club for the time since leaving Liverpool.
The 35-year-old will almost certainly get a warm reception from the travelling Reds supporters at the Gtech Community Stadium.
But Henderson wasn’t always popular with referees during his decorated Liverpool career with one legendary official, Dr. Felix Brych, jokingly calling him a ‘troublemaker’.
The German referee, who retired at the end of last 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.”
It was Henderson’s job as Reds captain to speak to referees. But while he is not Brentford’s skipper, expect him to be in the ear of the officials on Saturday night.
Nathan Collins, who was appointed the Bees’ captain in August, recently said about his vastly experienced team-mate: “It’s great to have him.
“It takes a bit of pressure off me because he’s such a big personality, and everyone knows him from before.
“He talks to the referee so I can concentrate on my game a bit more.
“He brings a level of standard on the pitch, which is a necessity for us. He’s helped me a lot.”
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