Jordan Henderson made his professional debut for Ajax on a journey from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Amsterdam, where he and England boss Gareth Southgate played to a 1-1 draw against PSV.

The hosts are currently 21 points clear of the league leaders, who have gone undefeated in the Eredivisie this season; Henderson started for Ajax in their match against them.

The 33-year-old spent the entire match in a defensive midfield position and came close to making an immediate impact when he lofted a through pass to Kenneth Taylor, but the latter was unable to convert.

Henderson set up Ajax captain Steven Berghuis to put John van ‘t Schip’s team ahead minutes later. Luuk De Jong of PSV equalized for the visitors, but neither team could find the back of the net.

In front of more than 50,000 spectators at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the English midfielder received the greatest applause of any Ajax player upon his introduction. This was his first game back since December, when he played for Al Ettifaq versus Al Hazem in Saudi Arabia.

The Premier League and Champions League-winning captain, Henderson, has been the talk of the town since his arrival in Amsterdam a little over two weeks ago. As a result, the club shop has sold out of all merchandise featuring Henderson, including shirts, bedsheets, and towels.

In Amsterdam, Southgate was joined by his good friend Steve Cooper, who had previously managed Nottingham Forest.

In October, the England manager expressed his perplexion about the boos directed at Henderson by England fans during a friendly match against Australia at Wembley. Since the controversial decision to leave for the Middle East, he has publicly supported the former Liverpool captain.

Henderson, whose future with the England national team is uncertain, put on a display befitting his trademark high level of play throughout the match against the top team in the Eredivisie. He maintained a high level of energy throughout and contributed to the team’s transitions from defense to аttаck.

Unless Ajax advance in the Europa Conference League, Henderson will not face a more formidable opponent for the rest of the season, considering the extent of PSV’s lead at the top of the Dutch league.

After spending the summer in Saudi Arabia, Henderson ended his three-year deal with Al Ettifaq in January. He had played in only 17 Saudi Pro League games, and he claimed that his choice was “very much a football decision.”

Last month, the former Liverpool captain joined Ajax on a free transfer. However, he was unable to participate in their 4-1 victory against RKC Waalwijk due to problems with his work visa. Additionally, he was not started in last weekend’s 4-2 victory over Heracles due to the artificial grass field.