Jordan Henderson: Brentford confirm signing of 'influential' former Liverpool captain | OneFootball

The 35-year-old returns to the Premier League after two seasons away

Brentford have completed the signing of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson on a two-year deal.

The 84-cap England international has his sights set on making Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad and feels a move back to the Premier League will put him front and centre of the England boss's thinking.

Henderson left Liverpool in 2023 after captaining the Merseyside club to the Premier League title in 2020 as well as the Champions League in 2019.

The veteran midfielder endured an ill-fated spell at Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq before joining Ajax in January 2024.

In a summer where Brentford have already lost long-standing head coach Thomas Frank and captain Christian Norgaard as well as potentially losing both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, Henderson's experience is viewed as an important asset.

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews praised Henderson's experience, calling him “one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years”.

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said: “When we became aware of Jordan’s availability, it was a pretty simple decision.

“We did our due diligence around his recent games to see where he is: he’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot.

“With the void of experienced players leaving the building - Christian Norgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee - it was important to replace that.

“We’ve got a pretty young squad, overall, and we’ve got a lot of club experience, which is really important, with the likes of Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Ethan Pinnock and Josh Dasilva, who is still at the club doing rehab.

“But what Jordan will bring is that he has been one of the most influential leaders in modern Premier League years. He’s been at the forefront of driving for titles and Champions Leagues at a fantastic football club.

“He also has experience at international level with England and, with that, comes a level of experience, professionalism and dedication to his profession - that’s the exact way we want to be as a football club. He will drive standards and be a brilliant addition to the squad.”

Henderson becomes Brentford's fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Antoni Milambo, Caoimhin Kelleher and Michael Kayode.