The shocking reality of the Saudi Arabian Pro League laid bare for former Liverpool midfielder

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq this summer and received a lot of criticism for doing so, but the latest figures make for a difficult read.

Henderson, 33, departed Anfield after 12 years in a deal worth £12m and captained the side to Premier League and Champions League glory.

This summer saw him join the Saudi Arabia Pro League, along with many other ex-Premier League figures as well as stars from all over Europe and he recently linked up with former teammate Giorginio Wijnaldum.

And the pair started during their most recent game against Al Riyadh, where Steven Gerrard’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat. But the main talking point comes from the total attendance in the stadium.

The atttendance figures for their loss in the largest city in Saudi Arabia (population of 8m) on Sunday was 696 fans - and the game took place in the 22,500-capacity Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.

It’s garnered a very negative response on social media, with many poking fun at the league. The photos say it all; it’s very difficult to identify the fans in the stadium and Henderson has gone from one of the best atmospheres in world football at Anfield to a stadium that was just 3% full.

Those type of numbers are expected in the lower leagues of the football pyramid and, in fact, the lowest number of fans Henderson would play in front of in the Premier League would be Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, at 10,536.

Fans posted comments such as ‘embarrasing’ and ‘It’s the big time...’ as well as pointing towards the financials involved with players wages.

It’s unclear how long the interest from players and the sustainability aspect of the league will continue to develop, but the figures are certainly alarming from a league touted to compete with the world’s biggest and brightest.