Niall Quinn delivers Jordan Henderson to Sunderland transfer verdict following Premier League promotion

Jordan Henderson’s name has been mentioned with Sunderland after the club’s promotion to the Premier League

Former Sunderland chairman and club hero Niall Quinn has discussed the idea of Jordan Henderson returning to the Stadium of Light.

Henderson, who started his career at Sunderland before moving to Anfield for £20 million in 2011, has been linked with a return to Wearside following the club’s stunning promotion back to the Premier League. The 33-year-old midfielder, who is currently with Ajax, has made no secret of his fondness for the Black Cats, and Quinn feels a return would be warmly welcomed.

“Well, I had it from the day Jordan left and Liverpool paid us £20million back then that there was a big wide door open for him any time he wanted to come back,” Quinn told talkSPORT when asked if Henderson might consider concluding his career at Sunderland. “Obviously, it is not my responsibility to do anything but comment on that. But couldn’t it be anything else?

Quinn, who was at the club when Henderson was in his early stages of development, complimented the midfielder’s temperament and influence throughout his successful career. “I believe he has been a credit to the game via his hard effort and team play. “He’s a real driver,” he explained.

Henderson won every major honour possible during his time at Liverpool, including the Premier League and Champions League, and captained England in important competitions. His return would be not only a fairytale ending to his career, but also a significant boost to Sunderland’s squad as they prepare to return to the top flight, though there has been no indication that the Black Cats are interested in bringing the former midfielder back to the club.

What Régis Le Bris said about Sunderland’s stunning win

“It’s a fantastic scenario for us, again,” Le Bris added. “Like the semi-final, it was just spectacular. It must have been difficult for the coaches and fans, but we once again demonstrated remarkable character. Even when we were not dominant, when we battled as a team, we remained united and adhered to our strategy. Then, later in the game, you believe you can change the momentum. This was the situation today.

“We lost Luke early and had to make a substitute. At the same time, I felt safe making this substitution since we knew Meps was prepared. This season, he has been extremely amazing not only as a player, but also as a person and professional. When he left the team before the semi-finals, he promised me, ‘I will keep connected with the group, don’t worry. He demonstrated today that this behavior was extremely crucial to the squad. We switched him with Ballard because they were targeting this side with Kieffer Moore, so we were successful.”