England midfielder Jordan Henderson has responded to criticism by defending his decision to join a Saudi Arabian club and apologising for the hurt caused to the LGBTQ community in an interview published by The Athletic. The 33-year-old moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq from Liverpool on a three-year deal in July. The switch to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death, made headlines as Henderson has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community. “I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone,” Henderson told The Athletic in a story published on Tuesday.