WATCH: Jordan Henderson's priceless reaction when Dutch journalist tells him he avoided Premier League transfer due to huge tax bill as he speaks at Ajax unveiling

The former Liverpool captain finds himself back in Europe a matter of months after leaving Anfield to reunite with former Reds team-mate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. Henderson was handed a lucrative contract in the Middle East – one said to be worth £30 million ($38m) a year – but has seen that deal torn up.

As he did not spend two years in Saudi Arabia, any salary earned to this point is no longer tax free and Henderson will be subject to income tax of 20 per cent. He would have been stung at 47% had he retraced steps to the Premier League in the current tax year, but insists that had nothing to do with his career choice – as he will also have plenty to pay in the Netherlands.

Quizzed on the thinking behind his move to Ajax and the stories suggesting that tax bills played a part in that, Henderson told reporters at his official unveiling in Amsterdam: “Don’t believe what you read in the press, I would say! That’s a little bit of advice. It had nothing to do with anything else other than a football decision. I felt it was a perfect opportunity for me to come to such a huge club and try to showcase again what I have tried to do my whole life, and that’s dedicate my life to football and try to be as successful as possible. I feel as though the welcome here has been incredible. I’m very overwhelmed to be given the opportunity to be at this great football club. I just want to repay the faith that has been shown in me. Over the next two-and-a-half years, I will give absolutely everything and dedicate my life to this football club to try and get it back on track and be as successful as possible.”

Henderson’s arrival at Ajax has caused quite a stir, with his new No.6 shirt selling at a record-breaking rate, and he will be hoping to make an immediate impact on the field for the most-decorated club in Dutch football – who sit fifth in the Eredivisie table at present after recovering from a horror start to their 2023-24 campaign.