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Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson has long been spoken of as a leader and an experienced voice in the dressing room, so why are a section of Bees supporters happy to see him move on?

Henderson is leaving Brentford after one year at the Gtech, but not every Brentford fan is disappointed by his exit.

The 36-year-old joined Brentford on a two-year contract last summer, but that deal has now been ended by mutual consent so that Chelsea can complete a free transfer, continuing their plan to reunite the 2010/11 Sunderland squad after agreeing a deal for Danny Welbeck.

So, with a figure of that experience and leadership leaving, you would expect supporters to feel some regret... wouldn't you?

In an emotional message on Brentford's website, Henderson thanked the west London club for giving him the chance to return to the Premier League following spells in Saudi Arabia and with Ajax, while also paying tribute to the staff, the owners, his team-mates and, “most of all”, the supporters.

“Their backing never changed, and the connection they have with the club is clear to see,” Hendo wrote. “They care deeply about Brentford and they support the team in the right way every step of the journey.”

However, not all Brentford supporters feel the same warmth in return — and not only because his replacement is reportedly set to be highly rated Ligue 1 talent Mamadou Sangare in a club-record move, according to The Athletic.

The former Liverpool man had not exactly been in top form during the second half of the season anyway, but he seemed to destroy whatever goodwill remained in what was arguably the biggest match in Brentford's history on the final day of last season. Keith Andrews' team travelled to Anfield to take on a very beatable Liverpool side, with Yehor Yarmolyuk injured and Henderson coming into the line-up.

Henderson may not have produced his best display, but the real anger began when the fourth official put up his number. With Brentford trailing by a goal after an hour, the midfielder appeared in no hurry to leave the pitch, taking in the applause from the Merseyside crowd and shaking hands with his former team-mates. Some felt he treated a hugely important fixture like a testimonial-style occasion, using it to receive the farewell from Liverpool fans that he never got when he left in 2023.

“If you thought this was bad, he then proceeded to laugh and joke with the opposition at full time and embark on a lap of honour BEFORE acknowledging us whilst every single other player and staff member was stood there gutted in front of the away end,” one Brentford supporter wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while many other Bees fans joined in with descriptions such as “shambolic”, “disgraceful” and “selfish”.

There is no real question that Henderson is viewed as a leader by those around him, something underlined by his selection for World Cup 2026 and the glowing public praise he has received from players such as Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers. But this is certainly not the first time he has managed to upset sections of the fanbase.

Back in 2023, his move to Al-Ettifaq drew heavy criticism from many because Henderson had previously been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’m comfortable knowing exactly what I am and exactly what I stand for,” Henderson said in a controversial interview with The Athletic's Adam Crafton and David Ornstein while discussing that transfer. “But I get, and I can accept, not everyone’s going to get that. So that’s why I can only apologise to those people if they feel like that.”

It will certainly be interesting to see what sort of reception the England international receives when he returns to Brentford next season.