Jordan Henderson 'honoured' to be offered Freedom of the City

Plans to award the England and Liverpool FC player, who was born in Herrington, the accolade were revealed shortly after he captained his team to victory in the UEFA Champions League final.

Former recipients of the honour include Niall Quinn MBE, staff at Nissan, and journalist Kate Adie.

Now it has been revealed Jordan wants to focus on his career before accepting the honour.

Deputy council leader Michael Mordey, gave the update to cabinet on June 18.

He said: “I’m very pleased to say that in communication with Sunderland-born Jordan Henderson, he has said that he would be proud to accept the freedom of his home city at some point in the future.

“For now, Jordan has his sights firmly set on what he wants to achieve on the football pitch for both his club and the England team.

“For all that he has helped achieve in the past year and his esteemed career in football to date, including support and encouragement given to others, he considers that he is nearer to the start of a journey than the end.

“As such, he is greatly honoured by our proposal to make him a freeman of Sunderland.

“But he has asked if we can revisit it in the future when he is perhaps closer to the end of his playing career and has contributed to many more domestic and international footballing successes, as he undoubtedly will.”

The report to cabinet outlined how Jordan, who was born in the city in 1990, joined the SAFC youth academy aged eight, and made his debut for Sunderland in 2008.

He signed to Liverpool in 2011, where he is now captain, and has more than 50 caps for England.

Jordan has retained strong links with his former school, Farringdon Academy, and regularly returns for assemblies and presentations.

Council bosses agreed that the Freedom of the City will be “conferred upon Jordan Henderson at the appropriate time in the future”.