Sparta is managed by Maurice Steijn, the coach who was fired by Ajax last season, adding another twist to a story in which Henderson’s team blew a nine-point lead with the trophy seemingly in their grasp. And Steijn’s son, Sem, will lead the Twente attack in the hopes of adding to his 23-goal season tally as he approaches the Eredivisie Golden Boot.

It has all the makings of a high-stakes final day, and league officials have ordered a second championship trophy to ensure everything is covered.

Thomas Tuchel has recalled Henderson, 34, to the England squad after missing out on the Euros last summer, and he is expected to be selected for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra next month.

He will captain Ajax in front of a sell-out 50,000 fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena, just days after they conceded an equaliser in the ninth minute of injury time in a 2-2 draw with mid-table Groningen, handing the initiative to PSV.

Their nightmare run began with a 4-0 loss at Utrecht last month, Ajax’s worst defeat at the hands of that club since the Eredivisie began in 1953. They were then held 1-1 at home by Sparta before falling 3-0 to NEC Nijmegen in front of their own fans.

Henderson, who lifted the Premier League trophy in 2020 at an empty Anfield during the covid pandemic, has refused to speak to Dutch media as Ajax struggle. Italian coach Francesco Farioli fielded an ageing squad against Nijmegen, believing that experience would be beneficial, only to see his team dismantled.