- Henderson has completed Al-Ettifaq move
- Klopp admits he will miss his skipper
- Praises midfielder's contribution
WHAT HAPPENED? The midfielder's £13 million ($16.84) transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq has been confirmed, marking the end of his 12-year stint with Liverpool. He has reportedlysigned a £700,000-per-week contractwith the Saudi club and will play in the Middle East under the guidance of his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard. However, Klopp is yet to come to terms with this transfer and claimed that it's difficult to see Henderson leave Anfield.
WHAT THEY SAID: "It's sad, absolutely strange, because he is the only captain I had here at Liverpool, but I think it is exciting for him as well. We will miss him, without a shadow of a doubt, that's clear - as a man and as a player. But, as I said, that's football," he told the club's official website.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: However, Klopp hailed the England international as a "really good package" and opined that the midfield comprising Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum was absolutely incredible as they "lacked nothing".
"Hendo is a really good package, a really good package. There is the physical part, but there is the super-technical part. He is technically really, really good. You cannot have this amount of Premier League games, you cannot be captain of Liverpool, you cannot play in the most important games in the world if you are technically not on a super-high level - and he is. Right foot, left foot really good.
"Let me say, this midfield Fabinho, Hendo, Gini and then Millie, these four for three positions, I think nobody would have said it would be a successful midfield because something is lacking - but nothing was lacking because the boys were all a real package. That's what was so good and Hendo was a super-important part of that," the German manager stated.
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WHAT NEXT? Henderson could make his debut on Saudi soil against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr on August 14. Meanwhile, Liverpool will be back in action on Sunday in a friendly against Leicester CIty in Singapore.