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A pre-season friendly football match between Gateshead and local rivals Dunston was abandoned on Friday after masked men drove a hearse into the ground and abandoned it in the centre of the pitch. Several men drove the hearse and a second vehicle, a silver car, to the centre of the pitch at half-time during the match at Dunston’s UTS Stadium in Tyne and Wear. They drove the vehicles from the car park into the pitch and spun them around in circles, throwing leaflets from the cars’ windows. Two men wearing ski masks then exited the hearse and joined the second car, which was driven out of the stadium, breaking through a barrier. The hearse was left behind on the pitch. Amid the chaos that ensued the decision was made to evacuate fans from the stadium, and the match was abandoned with the score at 1-1. “Due to an incident on the pitch occurring shortly after half time, tonight’s match has been abandoned by the referee,” tweeted Gateshead FC, who play in the fifth tier of English football and only six days earlier faced Premier League side Newcastle United in front of a sold-out stadium of 7,200 spectators, losing 3-2. While no one is reported to have been injured or threatened during the incident, local police said they have launched an investigation, adding that those found to be involved “will be dealt with robustly”. Dunston FC also tweeted that the match had been abandoned “due to an incident at half-time.” “While inquiries are at an early stage, it is believed that those involved are known to each other and there was no wider risk to the public,” a police spokesperson said. With videos of the incident being circulated on social media, police encouraged the public not to speculate and share any footage with them to assist with the investigation. They have called for “anyone with information or footage capturing what happened” to contact Northumbria police or reach out to officers on duty in the area carrying out inquiries.

We all love a good barbecue but sometimes we want something a little more than overcooked burgers and soggy salads. There’s no reason you can’t be adventurous when cooking al fresco, says Farang chef Sebby Holmes. When cooking chicken over a fierce heat, for example, it’s always best to marinate or brine it first. That’s what makes the chicken green curry below so packed full of goodness by the time it hits the barbecue. The same goes for the grilled tiger prawns and citrus som tam salad. A widely eaten salad in Asia, the som tam’s clementine adds a natural sweetness to the juices of the grilled prawns, making this a stand out dish. When cooked over an open fire, aubergine has an amazing ability to transform into a smoky, soft bombshell of flavour. The smoky aubergine, pickled cucumber and sesame salad with runny duck eggs is the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue, and also delicious served with steamed rice as a main. Barbecue chicken green curry When cooking chicken over a fierce heat such as a barbecue, it’s always best to marinate or brine it first. Now, you can honestly spend a lifetime researching the brining process and some people do, however we don’t have time for that! Suffice to say that by leaving raw meat in contact with salt and/or sugar and moisture before cooking, you allow it to take on flavour. This recipe uses the green curry paste to marinate the chicken, meaning it’s packed full of goodness by the time it hits the barbecue. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 20g coconut oil (vegetable oil can also be used instead) 100g green curry Payst 3g kaffir lime leaves, torn a little to release their flavour 10ml fish sauce (if using Payst no seasoning is necessary as it is pre-seasoned) 10-15g palm sugar (if using Payst no seasoning is necessary as it is pre-seasoned) 200ml chicken stock 1 tin coconut cream 4 free-range chicken thighs on the bone (400-600g total weight) 100g new potatoes, sliced in half 80g baby sweetcorn, sliced at an angle 80g green beans, sliced in half lengthways 10g krachai wild ginger, peeled and julienned (if you can’t find this, use the larger, more common ginger) 10g Thai sweet basil A piece of wood for smoking on the BBQ (my favourite is hickory) Method: Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a high heat, then add the green curry paste and kaffir lime leaves and stir regularly until the paste begins to split like scrambled eggs – this will take a few minutes. You will notice that the smell of the ingredients changes from raw to fragrant. At this point, add 10ml fish sauce and allow it to cook into the paste for 1 minute (don’t add too much as it is strong and you can always add, but never take away). Next, add the sugar and cook for a minute or so until melted and beginning to caramelise – this is noticeable as the paste begins to darken. Now it’s time to loosen the curry with liquids. Add half the chicken stock and 100ml of the coconut cream to the pan, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool, use a little of the curry to marinate the chicken thighs; use enough to coat them, then refrigerate the chicken to allow the flavours to infuse for a minimum of 2 hours, but ideally overnight. Light the barbecue and wait for the coals to glow red. Place the piece of wood onto the coals and allow to set alight and begin to smoke. At this point, add the chicken thighs skin-side up and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, lowering the BBQ lid so that the meat is engulfed by the smoke. Turn the chicken pieces over and repeat the process until the skin is crispy and golden brown and the chicken is piping hot. Next, return the remaining green curry to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Add any excess from the marinated chicken, then add the remaining stock. Add the potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sweetcorn and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until all the vegetables are softened but still retain a little bite. Add the hot chicken thighs, the remaining coconut cream and the krachai and basil. Check you are happy with the seasoning, add a little more fish sauce, sugar or coconut milk if needed and serve immediately. This dish is best served with steamed jasmine rice. Grilled tiger prawns and citrus som tam salad Som tam has fast become one of the most widely eaten and popular salads to come out of Asia. It originates from Lao, but now has many well-known variations from all over. This version is one I created for Farang. The use of clementine, which adds a natural sweetness, along with the juices of the grilled prawns, makes it a stand out dish. Try it with some sticky rice and some of our ginger and green sweet chilli dipping sauce for a proper feed. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 8-10 prawns, cleaned, deveined and outer shells removed 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp dried shrimp A pinch of Maldon sea salt 1 tbsp peanuts, fried or roasted 3 red bird’s-eye chillies (more if you like it spicy) 10g green beans, chopped in 2 30g cherry tomatoes 200g shredded green papaya (can be found in most Asian supermarkets) 10-15g palm sugar 20ml thick tamarind water Juice of 2 limes ½ lime, chopped with the zest on Juice of 1 clementines Method: Coat the prawns in the fish sauce and oil, then place them on a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the side in contact with the heat has turned pink. Turn the prawns over and repeat on the other side until they are hot throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside. Pound the garlic and dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle, using the salt as an abrasive. Then pound in the peanuts to break them up just enough to mix through the salad; be careful not to over-pound them or they will turn into peanut butter. Next, one by one, add the chillies, green beans, tomatoes, grilled prawns and papaya to the mortar, bruising them as you go to distribute the flavours. Add the palm sugar, tamarind water, lime juice, chopped lime and the juice of 1 clementine. Give the salad a final bruising to ensure that all ingredients are packed full of the flavoursome dressing, making sure that the palm sugar has completely dissolved in the dressing, otherwise someone will get an unexpected sweet mouthful. Taste the dressing to check that it suits your tastes – it should be sweet, salty, sour and spicy with a hint of bitterness from the lime zest. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve. Smoky aubergines, pickled cucumber and sesame salad with runny duck eggs When cooked over an open fire, aubergine has an amazing ability to transform into a smoky, soft bombshell of flavour. This salad, a perfect accompaniment to a barbecue and also delicious served with steamed jasmine rice as a main, uses a runny egg to contribute to the dressing. I’ve used Thai purple aubergines, which are thinner and easier to grill evenly in a short time. You can also use ordinary aubergines, but they may need a little longer on the fire. Serve drizzled in our burnt chilli dipping sauce to add an extra level of flavour. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 Thai purple aubergines (these can be found in most Asian supermarket, however, the larger, more popular, aubergines can be used instead) 2 duck eggs 10g jasmine rice 10g mint, torn 10g coriander 10g Thai shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (banana shallots can be used) 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds For the pickle: 2 tbsp caster sugar ½ tsp table salt 50ml distilled white vinegar ¼ cucumber, thinly sliced For the dressing: Juice of 3 limes Juice of 2 clementine 2 tsp fish sauce (seaweed sauce can be used as a vegetarian substitute) ½ tsp chilli powder (a little less if you don’t like things too spicy) 2 tsp caster sugar 3 tsp tamarind water Method: Light the barbecue and place the whole aubergines directly onto the hot coals, or near the hottest part of the grill if you’re using a gas barbecue. Keep a close eye on them and turn them over frequently, ensuring that the heat from the coals is distributed evenly. The aubergines are ready when they are soft to the touch, with charred and blistered skins. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. If you are not using a barbecue, crank the oven right up to full blast and bake the aubergines until the skins are charred and the flesh is soft – this will take 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, soft-boil then peel the duck eggs. An average-sized egg takes 6-7 minutes to cook on a rolling boil. I cook mine in salted water, then transfer them into ice-cold water with a splash of olive oil. If you peel the eggs in the water, the oil gets between the shell and the flesh, making them easier to peel. Once peeled, set aside at room temperature. Put the rice in a dry frying pan and lightly toast on a medium heat, shaking the pan constantly until the grains have turned golden brown and release a lovely aroma. Pound the rice into a powder in a granite mortar and pestle, or use a spice grinder. Make sure to grind the rice to a powder as it will be used to add texture to the salad; it will be crunchy if the grains are too coarse. Next, make the pickle. In a medium saucepan, gently heat the sugar, salt and vinegar together with 50ml cold water until the sugar has dissolved. Be sure to keep stirring so that the sugar dissolves without heating the water too much. Remove from the heat and add the cucumber, then refrigerate. Make the dressing. In a bowl, mix the lime and clementine juices, the fish sauce, chilli powder, sugar and tamarind water. Taste and adjust the dressing to cater to your own taste buds: it should be sweet, salty, sour and hot, with an edge towards the salt and citrus. When you’re happy with the flavour, add the aubergines, mint, coriander, shallots and the pickled cucumber (straining any pickling juices before adding), then gently fold together, leaving the aubergines whole if you can be delicate enough. Put the aubergines on a serving plate and place the duck eggs on top. Using the tip of a knife, pierce a hole in the eggs and break them open with your fingers, releasing the runny yolks so that they ooze into the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the rice and sesame seeds and add a tiny pinch of salt onto the runny egg yolks as a surprise burst of flavour. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for an extra fill.

Lionel Messi began his Inter Miami career with a bang as the Argentinian magician ended his debut with a stunning free-kick winner against Cruz Azul deep in stoppage time. Seven months on from lifting the World Cup, the eyes of the footballing world were trained on Florida as the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner made his eagerly anticipated first appearance. Messi’s Miami debut has been years in the making and proved well worth the wait. After Robert Taylor’s excellent opener was cancelled out by Uriel Antuna, the 36-year-old struck at the death to send DRV PNK Stadium delirious and seal an unforgettable 2-1 Leagues Cup win. It was the dream end to an evening that attracted fans of all ages in ‘Messi 10’ shirts, with stars like LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian and, of course, David Beckham among those in the sold-out, expectant crowd. The proud Miami co-owner watched on from a box next to the dugout, where the early exchanges made for uncomfortable viewing as Miami looked every bit the Eastern Conference’s bottom side. Inter rode out that early storm and took the lead just before the break as Taylor’s exquisite low strike went in off the post to Messi’s delight. The forward was cheered throughout and received a rapturous reception when brought on in the 54th minute, taking the armband as Sergio Busquets also came on for his debut. Jordi Alba has also signed up to join their former Barcelona boss Tata Martino in Miami, but there remains work to do and that was clear as Cruz Azul deservedly levelled through Antuna. The Mexicans could easily have won it as the clock wound down, but this was Messi’s night. The 36-year-old won a free-kick deep in stoppage time and there was an air of inevitability before he sent the resulting set piece into the top left-hand corner as fireworks filled the air. This was a huge moment for Major League Soccer and momentous night for North American football, 48 years on from Pele’s New York Cosmos bow and 16 years to the day since Beckham made his LA Galaxy debut. Messi’s name was chanted by excited fans through a match that the hosts began in ragged fashion as Cruz Azul toyed with the hosts. Carlos Rotondi sent an early effort off the post during that early barrage. Miami offered precious little in return but – following a break to deal with Ian Fray’s nasty-looking injury – a moment of magic lit up the game. Robbie Robinson’s diagonal pass found Taylor high and wide on the left, with the Finland international cutting inside, making space and slamming a low right-footed shot in off the far post. Messi was on his feet celebrating and soon gearing to come on, with the big moment eventually arriving in the 54th minute. Benjamin Cremaschi made way as the Argentina skipper jogged on to a huge roar and took the captain’s armband. Former Barca team-mate Busquets and Josef Martinez joined him as part of an exciting triple substitutions. There was an electric atmosphere whenever Messi touched the ball but the Mexican visitors were still making opportunities and drew level in the 65th minute. Antuna collected the ball in a dangerous and Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender was unable to deal with his drilled strike. Messi showed flashes of quality, skill and poise as play swung from end to end with both sides seeking a winner. Ignacio Rivero was denied Callender and there were a few hairy moments as this helter-skelter clash continued, with Messi threaded through by Busquets only to see a shot blocked. Martinez looked to have won it but Messi had strayed well offside before passing it and at the other end Christian Tabo was brilliantly stopped by Callender. Play was set to end in a penalty shoot-out but Messi had other ideas. Fouled by Carlos Salcedo, it set up the chance for an unforgettable finish and the debutant delivered a thrilling final blow. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lee McGregor loses unbeaten record in punishing title contest Dunston v Gateshead friendly abandoned after masked men drive hearse onto pitch Jonny Bairstow hits back at critics after putting England on top in fourth Test

The United States begin the defence of their Women’s World Cup crown as the four-time champions play Vietnam in Auckland tonight. The USA are aiming to become the first team to win the World Cup three times in a row, with stars such as Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe returning from their victory in France four years ago. The defending champions are favourites to retain their title but they will face competition from the top European sides, such as England and Germany, who are confident they have closed the gap. The stage is set for the next generation to shine, such as star forward Sophia Smith, who is one of 14 players in the squad who are making their first appearance at the World Cup finals. The USA also have a new head coach from four years ago, with Vlatko Andonovski taking over from Jill Ellis, who led the team to titles in 2015 and 2019. Follow live updates as the USA begin their Women’s World Cup campaign. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Are the United States still the team to beat at the Women’s World Cup? Everything to know about Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s relationship, from Olympic first meeting to engagement

The Women’s World Cup continued with three games taking place on the second day of the tournament. Spain and Switzerland got their campaigns off to a winning start against Costa Rica and the Philippines respectively. However, Canada were forced to share the spoils with Nigeria after Christine Sinclair’s spot-kick was saved. Here the PA news agency takes a look at Friday’s action. Dominant Spain Spain started their campaign by easing to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica. Valeria del Campo’s own goal was followed by strikes from Aitana Bonmati and Esther Gonzalez in the next six minutes. Jenni Hermoso also had a penalty saved by Daniela Solera before half-time, meaning that there has been a spot-kick awarded in all five games in the tournament so far. The match also marked the return of double Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who played the final 13 minutes of the game following her return from an ACL injury. Missed chances for Canada It was not the start to the tournament that Canada were hoping for after being held to a 0-0 draw by Nigeria in Group B. In a tense clash, veteran Sinclair had the opportunity to put Canada ahead from the penalty spot, but she was denied by brilliant diving save from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. The Super Eagles had Deborah Abiodun sent-off in the final stages of the game. Nnadozie’s stellar performance earned praise from Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum. He said: “Chiamaka has done this before and I will say this and I will embarrass her in front of you all, but I think she’s one of the best young goalkeepers in the world right now.” Swiss top Group A Switzerland take the advantage into the next round of fixtures after they beat the Philippines 2-0 to top Group A. It was a tough start for the Filipinas on their World Cup debut after Katrina Guillou had her effort ruled out for offside in the 16th minute. Ramona Bachmann then put the Swiss ahead with a penalty before the break and Seraina Piubel secured victory with her strike in the 64th minute. Switzerland are level with co-hosts New Zealand on three points and will face Norway next on Tuesday. Picture of the Day Quote of the Day This may be our first time out here but it doesn’t feel like it. We have way more to give. We’re going to look forward to the next one and bring it as hard as we can. Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel Post of the Day Up Next Group E: USA v Vietnam (2am, Eden Park, Auckland)Group C: Zambia v Japan (8am, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)Group D: England v Haiti (10.30am, Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane)Group D: Denmark v China (1pm, Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)all times BST Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves for Marseille as Chelsea exodus gathers pace ‘People tell me it’s cursed!’ – Aubameyang latest victim of Chelsea’s nine shirt Marcus Smith teased by England team-mates over Racing 92 speculation

With the SEC expanding to 16 teams in 2024, South Carolina star Tonka Hemingway is really going to miss the Gamecocks' annual rivalry with the Georgia Bulldogs going forward.During SEC Media Days in Nashville, South Carolina standout Tonka Hemingway said what we are all thinking about confe...

French police are investigating a violent armed robbery that targeted Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at his home. The Paris prosecutor's office said the player was targeted overnight Thursday to Friday. The prosecutor's office and the French capital's police force refused to release details about the attack that French media said took place in the early hours of the morning in his Paris home. A police investigation has been opened on possible armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated violence charges, the prosecutor's office said. Le Parisien newspaper, quoting an unnamed police source, reported that four people broke into his apartment in Paris' upmarket 8th district at about 3 a.m. It said Donnarumma and his partner were tied up and that he was slightly injured. Both were treated in hospital for shock, it said. The attackers made off with valuables estimated to be worth about half a million euros (dollars), including watches, jewelry and other luxury accessories, the newspaper said. French champion PSG leaves Saturday for a pre-season tour of Japan. The 24-year-old Donnarumma joined PSG from AC Milan after helping Italy win the European Championship in 2021, where he was named the tournament's best player. He has won the French league title in his two seasons with PSG and was voted the league's best goalkeeper last season. Several PSG players have been robbed in previous years. Among them were Brazil defender Marquinhos and Argentina's World Cup-winning winger Angel Di Maria, who both had their homes robbed in 2021. Read More Women’s World Cup LIVE: Today’s results and latest news Ellie Roebuck: England and Man City goalkeeper in profile England goalkeeper Mary Earps hits out at Nike for refusing to sell her shirt

Seafood chowder is one of the few foods that tastes just as good in the summer as it does in the winter.

Already one of the true legends of the women’s game, Lucy Bronze has been a regular for England since making her debut in 2013 and has played all across the park, although she is best known as a marauding right-back, overlapping Beth Mead in the Euros to often devastating effect. Born into a bilingual Portuguese-English family in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Bronze, now 31, played for Alnwick Town until she turned 12, when FA regulations prevented her from continuing to play for the boys’ team, a matter about which her coach felt so strongly he launched an unsuccessful discrimination case to challenge the rules, reluctant to lose his best player to an outmoded technicality. A multi-talented athlete in secondary school, she played at youth level for Blyth Town and Sunderland, graduating to the latter’s senior squad and winning the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division in 2008/09 before relocating to the US to enrol at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels, a path future LionessesAlessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy would later follow. Returning to England to complete her sports science degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, playing for the institution’s women’s team while supporting herself by working at Domino’s Pizza, Bronze then commenced her senior career in earnest with Everton in 2010. After two years, she transferred to city rivals Liverpool where she won back-to-back Women’s Super Leagues, before moving to Manchester City in 2014, where she again won the title and the FA Cup in 2016. She then moved on to France to play for all-conquering Lyon in 2017, winning the Champions League, three successive league titles, two domestic cups and finishing second in the running for the 2019 Ballon d’Or before returning to City for further cup success. A final switch to Barcelona alongside long-time teammate Keira Walsh followed last summer and the Catalans duly won the title and Champions League in Bronze’s debut season. A hugely popular and respected member of the England set up with 105 caps to her name and counting, and an Instagram account for her West Highland Terrier Narla, it could all have been so different for Lucy Bronze. As the daughter of a maths teacher, she had reportedly planned to become an accountant had football not worked out. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Jordan Nobbs, an energetic box-to-box midfielder and former Arsenal captain, has had more than her fair share of bad luck in recent years and was forced to miss out on the 2019 World Cup, the 2020 Olympic Games and Euro 2022 because of knee and ankle injuries. Even in spite of those heart-breaking setbacks, she has still notched up 71 appearances for her country and scored eight times, including a memorable long-range drive against Italy on her debut in the Cyprus Cup in March 2013, in addition to captaining the national side at under-17 level. Now 30, Nobbs will be relishing her chance to get out on the field at a major tournament once again, rather than languishing in a TV studio on punditry duties, and has the calm and experience to martial the Lionesses from the middle of the park, as Jill Scott was often called upon to do during difficult moments last summer. Nobbs was born in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and is a product of Sunderland’s youth system, making her first team debut for the Black Cats at 16 and scoring nine times in 29 outings between 2008 and 2011, during which time the side were beaten FA Cup finalists in 2009 and she was named FA Young Player of the Year in 2010. Nobbs subsequently signed for the Gunners in 2010 and became an integral part of the North London club’s success for more than a decade, winning three Barclay’s Women’s Super League titles (captaining the side that lifted the trophy in 2019), as well as four FA Cups and five League Cups. She scored 52 goals in 157 matches between 2010 and 2023 before that sequence of niggling injuries began to hamper her progress and eat into her playing opportunities. Earlier this year she gave herself a new lease of life when she signed for Aston Villa, joining up with current England teammate and Rachel Daly, and scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 trouncing of Brighton, firmly re-establishing her credentials at the highest level. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp was one of the Lionesses’s most dynamic attacking threats at Euro 2022, providing a steady supply of crosses into the box from the left while unafraid to cut inside for a shot, perfectly complimenting Beth Mead’s game on the opposite flank. She only scored once in the tournament, during an 8-0 demolition of Norway in the group stages, but supplied the crucial extra-time corner that was poked home by Chloe Kelly in the final against Germany to secure the trophy and send an 87,000-strong Wembley crowd into raptures. But Hemp, 22, can certainly finish, having scored 10 for her country at senior level in 38 games, four of which came in a brutal 20-0 thrashing of Latvia in November 2021. Since last summer’s triumph, Sarina Wiegman has experimented with playing her as a number nine in a friendly against the USA last October, which paid off when Hemp scored early on in a 2-1 win, giving the manager fresh food for thought as she seeks a permanent replacement for retired record goalscorer Ellen White up front. Hailing from North Walsham in Norfolk, she began her career with her hometown team, playing alongside her sister Amy, before moving on to Norwich City to continue her youth career. From there, Hemp moved west to play for Bristol City, where she scored nine goals in 24 appearances between 2016 and 2018 and was named England’s Young Player of the Year for 2017, catching the eye of Manchester City. She has since scored 30 times for the blue half of Manchester in 81 games to date, including in the 2019 FA Cup Final when she came off the bench to net the winner and lift her first trophy. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

There are barely 100 miles between Doha and Dammam. One city in the Persian Gulf which, until recent years, relatively few football fans elsewhere had to consider, brought arguably the culmination of Jordan Henderson’s Liverpool career, the other a conclusion that feels both sudden and premature and yet comes 11 years after Brendan Rodgers infamously tried to offload him to Fulham to get Clint Dempsey. Three years before Doha hosted the World Cup final, it staged the Club World Cup final. Henderson, the fifth Liverpool captain to lift the European Cup, became the first to raise the trophy that gave them the mantle of world champions. The ‘Hendo lift’, a trademark shuffle before picking up the silverware, capped their rise from the doldrums and his own ascent. Henderson was the misfit who became the only Liverpool skipper to win the lot: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield. And now he has joined the retirement home for Liverpool captains in Saudi Arabia, reunited with Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq in Damman. Robbie Fowler is in the neighbouring city of Al Khobar. Perhaps Phil Thompson and Phil Neal, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush will pop up there too, though presumably not Graeme Souness, who has criticised Henderson’s decision. That Gerrard, the mentor who groomed Henderson as his successor, has now disrupted Jurgen Klopp’s plans to transition between generations may irritate: Liverpool’s history has been a burden before but two men who have made the right sort have now posed a problem in the present. For Henderson, a departure comes with less fanfare than his old sidekick James Milner’s move to Brighton and more questions if he has tarnished what otherwise looked a wonderful legacy. Contrasting statements can both be true. The midfielder has earnt the right to take whichever decision he chooses; his band of admirers can nevertheless be disappointed with the one he has made. Liverpool LGBTQ+ fan group Kop Out said they were “appalled and concerned”; Henderson had appeared an ally to them, and to many other communities, offering vocal leadership on the field and moral leadership off the field. Saudi Arabia is not the logical destination for a man who had taken principled stands. If nothing came easily to Henderson at Anfield, now there is the sense he is giving up something he worked so hard for. When the Wearsider signed his penultimate Liverpool contract, in 2018, he said: “There is no other place in the world I would rather play football. I want to be here for as long as I can be.” Times change, along with circumstances, opinions and priorities but a slogan Liverpool adopted – “this means more” – felt particularly true for Henderson; the tearful pitchside embrace with his father, Brian, after the 2019 Champions League final moved many who knew neither in person. Henderson represented a great feelgood story; he was the ugly duckling who became a swan at Anfield, part of the seemingly gruesome foursome of expensive British buys in 2011, with Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing. If none appeared good enough for Liverpool, Rodgers shared those doubts upon his appointment the following year; he was willing to let Henderson leave. Instead, the midfielder won him over to such an extent that he became captain. There was a sense, too, that Klopp was initially unconvinced by Henderson. In later years, he was happy to call him Liverpool’s “General”. Henderson, he reflected in 2021, was “essential to all the things we achieved in the last few years”. His Liverpool career was a triumph of character even as he could remain curiously underestimated or damned with faint praise. “If anybody does not see the quality of Jordan Henderson, then I cannot help them,” Klopp said in 2020; many remained blinded to it but Henderson was voted Footballer of the Year that year as the driving force in a team who won 26 of their first 27 league games and who ended Liverpool’s three-decade wait to become champions of England. Without ever oozing class, he proved a top-quality performer in two roles for Klopp: first, in the manager’s vernacular, as a No. 6 and then, after Fabinho’s arrival, as a No. 8 as well. He was an eager gegenpresser but that sometimes camouflaged his other qualities: he has often been a fine crosser, including from infield positions; many of his 33 Liverpool goals were spectacular. He had the tactical awareness to cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold in a way that meant the attack-minded right-back was rarely exposed for years. He was a valiant makeshift centre-back, including in the Club World Cup semi-final. He made 57 appearances as they came agonisingly close to the quadruple in 2021-22; perhaps that represented a last hurrah before the troubled 2022-23, the arrival of fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the reinvention of Alexander-Arnold, the prospect of a diminished role and, maybe, the passing of time persuaded him to move on when he had two years left on his contract and enduring importance. Or, alternatively, it was simply the Saudi millions. Henderson leaves with 492 appearances, level with Roger Hunt, one behind Ronnie Whelan, and eight years as captain, topped only by Gerrard, Ron Yeats and Alex Raisbeck. From unpromising beginnings, he became an all-time Liverpool great. But it is a shame he decided it had to end this way. Read More Liverpool agree £12m deal to sell Jordan Henderson to Saudi club Al Ettifaq Who could replace Fabinho? Liverpool transfer options analysed Liverpool transfer news: Latest Romeo Lavia and Federico Valverde updates as Dominik Szoboszlai signs