Jordan Henderson scores another own goal with nonsense gesture after Chelsea heroics

Jordan Henderson scores another own goal with nonsense gesture after Chelsea heroics

Jordan Henderson managed to put his foot in it despite a superb brace for Chelsea against Bournemouth

Oh Jordan! The man who pledged his support for the LGBT+ community before moving to a country where same-sex relationships are punishable by death and broke his arm at the World Cup despite not playing a single minute has been at it again.

No sooner had he slammed in a glorious free-kick in Chelsea's rout of Bournemouth than he was tapping the badge. Oh yes, Jordan Henderson, that dyed-in-the-wool West Londoner who grew up cheering on his beloved club from The Shed End before fulfilling a childhood dream by pulling on the famous Royal Blue shirts.

There's just one problem: That's complete rubbish. Henderson is a born and bred Sunderland fan who played for his hometown club before captaining Liverpool - you know, one of Chelsea's biggest rivals.

In one way, tapping a piece of overpriced material with an emblem on it means very little. But in another way, it says an awful lot. To your average football fan, it means you're saying 'this is my club', the one 'I've dreamt of playing for.'

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But Chelsea isn't Henderson's club, is it? It's the seventh stop in a nomadic career that has seen him torch his support for the Rainbow Laces campaign in return for some Saudi moolah.

Remember when he joined Al-Ettifaq on £700,000 per week and the club turned pictures of him wearing a rainbow armband black and white. What an ally, eh?

I don't necessarily have a problem with players taking the Saudi coin. It would be hard for any of us to turn down. Just don't do it when you've made a grandstanding statement about inclusion, which subsequently felt like a hollow attempt to burnish 'Brand Hendo.'

No one should have an issue with him joining Chelsea either. In fact, it looks like a great move and a chance for him to bookend a decent career with a trophy or two. On the Blues' part, it's an unusually sensible piece of business following their ludicrous Football Manager approach to the transfer market.

But the badge tapping/kissing really grates. It should be reserved for the Gary Nevilles and Steven Gerrards of the world, who spent their entire careers at the clubs they supported as boys, not the likes of Henderson, who are just passing through.

I'd give Henderson a pass if he'd made an emotional return to Sunderland to round off his career. But instead, he's gone to a club that treats players and managers like commodities at best and like pieces of meat at worst.

Fair enough. It's his career, his choice. Just cut out the badge-tapping nonsense, please. It's a poor look.

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Mark Whiley

Mark is a sports writer for Reach's Sports Hub, working across titles like the Mirror, Express and Daily Star. Previously, he was part of Reach's Midlands Football department, covering clubs across the region, and at LincolnshireLive, reporting on Lincoln City FC. Mark is passionate about sport, with a particular interest in motorsport, darts, snooker, cricket and football. He graduated from the University of Lincoln in 2003.