Liam Henderson’s time in Serie A could be coming to an end after Empoli’s relegation to Serie B, with the midfielder’s contract set to expire this summer.
The 29-year-old featured regularly throughout the campaign, but Empoli’s survival hopes were dashed on the final day, dropping them into the second tier of Italian football. [Yahoo] Now, with his deal up, questions loom over whether Henderson will stay in Italy or seek a return to the UK.
Henderson has become something of a trailblazer for Scottish players abroad, having spent the last six years carving out a respectable career in Italy with spells at Bari, Verona, Lecce, and now Empoli. He’s made over 100 appearances across Serie A and B.
Before all that, he was a promising talent at Celtic, coming through the ranks to lift the League Cup in 2015 and contribute during the club’s unbeaten 2016–17 league campaign under Brendan Rodgers. Though he fell two games short of the medal threshold, then-manager Neil Lennon spoke highly of the midfielder, saying: “He’s been absolutely excellent. His attitude to work is fantastic and there’s certainly a willingness on his part to get better.” [bbc]
That attitude helped Henderson settle in a league where few Scots have made their mark, with Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay part of a league-winning Napoli side, while Lewis Ferguson won a cup.
Now approaching his 30th birthday, Henderson faces a key decision on the next chapter of his career – one that could see him stay in a country where he’s earned respect, or return to familiar surroundings back home.
