Former Netherlands international Theo Janssen has indicated that former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson is getting undue importance on the pitch despite not being great.
Henderson joined Ajax in the winter transfer window after a short stint in Saudi Arabia in order to boost his Euro 2024 hopes.
The former Liverpool captain has two assists to his name in nine appearances for Ajax, but many observers have found his performances below par, contrary to the hype surrounding his arrival in Amsterdam.
Janssen admitted that he almost lost it when he saw Henderson standing ready for a free-kick from a good position against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday while Ajax had an obvious dead ball specialist in Branco van den Boomen.
He indicated that the former Liverpool midfielder is being treated differently at Ajax and is being allowed to be on all the corners and free-kicks despite not being great at delivering good balls.
The former Netherlands star stressed that Henderson is being revered as a great like Diego Maradona and is being allowed to take centre-stage.
He said on Studio Voetbal (via Voetbal Primeur): “I almost turned off the television.
“This was a real opportunity and it was the ideal distance. The ball had enough time to drop.
“Van den Boomen is a player with a nice kick.
“As a player you grab the ball and say, get out of the way. It just surprises me.
“At Ajax, Henderson is placed everywhere just to put him on the pitch and that’s what it seems like.
“He takes all the corners and the free-kicks.
“He is just a player who is on the pitch but nothing more than that. It is being pretended that Maradona is on the pitch.”
Henderson has also been wearing the captain’s armband at Ajax since his arrival from Saudi Arabia in January.
