Jordan Henderson's return to England turned into a nightmare as Aston Villa fans booed the Ajax midfielder throughout in a damning 4-0 thrashing.
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Henderson started for AjaxMidfielder received a hostile reception at Villa ParkDutch giants beaten comprehensively by English sideWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Liverpool stalwart, now plying his trade with Ajax, endured a torrid reception from the Villa faithful throughout the match, marking a challenging homecoming for the midfielder during the Europa Conference League encounter. There were resounding jeers directed at him from the stands, reminiscent of the hostility he faced from England fans at Wembley back in October.
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Henderson put in a dismal shift in midfield as he looked unsettled after finding himself at the receiving end of the tumultuous reception. He admitted that it was a "tough game" and believes the second goal was the turning point in the match.
WHAT HENDERSON SAID
Speaking to after the match Henderson said: "Tough game. It's hard to stand here and put it into words straight after the game. We've been beaten quite easily in the end which is disappointing. I felt we were in the game at the end of the first half. We conceded a second goal which was poor on our behalf and then it's always tough at that point. To go 10 men it's very difficult to come back against a good side. Injuries and everything started to go wrong. If we'd kept it at 1-0 for longer we could have hurt them but we were well beaten in the end. Villa are a good side.
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Ajax were dismantled by a fiery Villa side who took just 25 minutes to open the scoring through Ollie Watkins. Leon Bailey doubled the lead and after Sivert Mannsverk was given his marching orders for the visitors, Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby added to the scoreline to complete a resounding victory.
Henderson and Co. are fifth in the Eredivisie, 19 points off the Champions League places, and will return to action against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Villans will play West Ham on the same day in a Premier League encounter.