Demarai Gray falls into Jordan Henderson trap as winger explains Everton exit
Demarai Gray has gone down the same road as Jordan Henderson – and others before him – with his attempt to justify joining a team in mega-rich Saudi Arabia.
The Jamaica international sealed a move to Al-Ettifaq last week in a deal worth £10million [Sky Sports], seeing him link up with Henderson to play under another former Liverpool player in Steven Gerrard.
Gray’s days at Goodison Park looked numbered after failing to make any of Sean Dyche’s squads for the opening five games of the season, yet that was later put down to the player allegedly not wanting to train.
That was in response to the former Leicester City player taking to social media to hit out at Dyche, with the whole transfer saga getting rather messy towards the end.
Whichever way you look at it, it is clear Gray was chasing the money in joining a Saudi Pro League club. Available for a seven-figure sum in terms of upfront cost, many European teams were no doubt keeping a close eye on his situation.
Yet little did anyone know just how eager Gray was to join the exciting new project taking place in the Middle East.
Speaking after finding the net for Jamaica in their 1-0 win over Honduras on Saturday [9 September], Gray told Jamaica Gleaner: “I think it was time for me to move on.
“Speaking to the manager there, I felt like I wanted the new challenge, opportunity and feel of something completely different.
“There’s a hype around the Saudi league at the minute. It’s quite big and a lot of players are going out there.”
The quotes are along similar lines to what Henderson said in an interview with The Athletic on 5 September, when the England international point-blank refused to admit money played any part in his decision to quite Anfield.
“This opportunity with Stevie (Gerrard) in a totally different league and totally different culture was something completely different, that maybe it would excite us in terms of the project,” Henderson said.
Everton can be pleased enough to have landed £10m for Gray, and the player himself can now begin a new chapter in his career some 4,000 miles away.
But to suggest the decision behind the move was down to anything other than a mammoth payday is just wrong.
In other Everton news, another player to have departed Goodison Park in the summer window could reportedly be handed a LaLiga lifeline.