Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson spoke of his “excitement” for the Saudi Pro League “project” after leaving Liverpool for side Al-Ettifaq last summer, claiming he wanted to be a part of the growth of the game in the middle east.
But six months on and Henderson has opted to quit the club by agreeing to terminate his contract in order to sign for Dutch giants Ajax.
It is a sharp U-turn from what Henderson said just a few months ago, when he attracted widespread criticism for his decision to head to a country where same-sex relationships are illegal having previously been active in his support for the LGBTQ+ community.
But Henderson is not the only player to quickly change his mind after joining a club, as these signings from the past show…
Sol Campbell – Notts County
Embed from Getty ImagesThe former England and Arsenal defender signed a five-year deal at League Two side Notts County back in 2009, stating he was “confident that something special is being created at the club”.
He made his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Morecambe but just three days later, he walked out on the club and had his contract terminated, with the 34-year-old citing broken promises as his reason for quitting.
“I bought into a dream and I wanted to make that dream a reality. But it took me less than a month to realise that it was all heading to a different conclusion,” he said at the time.
John Obi Mikel – Manchester United
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the all-time great transfer stories. Manchester United announced they had agreed to sign promising young prospect John Obi Mikel in 2005 and Mikel held a press conference where he was pictured with the United shirt.
Then the drama started, with Chelsea too claiming they had signed the midfielder. Mikel would soon head to London where he claimed he had been “pressured” into signing for United but was ordered to return to his club Lyn while the dispute was resolved.
Chelsea and United would eventually come to a resolution which would see Mikel sign for the Blues in what was one of the most bizarre transfer stories that has ever took place.
Robert Jarni – Coventry City
Embed from Getty ImagesCoventry City pulled off something of a coup when they snapped up Croatia star Robert Jarni for £2.6m back in 1998. The wide-man had helped his country to a third-placed finish at the World Cup and had impressed for his club Real Betis too.
But right after signing for Coventry, Real Madrid decided they wanted to sign the player and paid Coventry £3.4m for the former Real Betis man, who left without ever having made an appearance for the English side.
“It was a family decision – my family was against moving to England. We had small children, my daughter was in elementary school in Spain and we preferred to stay there rather than move to England. I was honest about it, and when I told Strachan, he understood,” he would explain at the time.
Hamer Bouazza – Sivasspor and AC Omonia
Embed from Getty ImagesHamer Bouazza made his name in England playing for clubs including Watford, Fulham, Charlton, Blackpool and Millwall, but is unsurprisingly not remembered for his time at Turkish club Sivasspor.
The winger signed for the club in 2009 and made his debut in the 3-0 defeat to Shahktar Donetsk but after just five days, he was gone, admitting he did not want to play in Turkey and claiming he did not like the city.
That was not the only time Bouazza made a quick exit either. In 2012 he signed for Cypriot club AC Omonia but was there just a few weeks before deciding it was not for him.
