Liverpool's Henderson slams 'disrespectful' Leeds players over pre-match shirts

 Jordan Henderson has insisted that Leeds were 'disrespectful' towards Liverpool's players by wearing their 'Earn It' and 'Football is for the Fans' shirts before last month's match.

Leeds wore the shirts to highlight their disapproval of the European Super League plans, which Liverpool had announced they were signing up to the day before their game against Marcelo Bielsa's men.

News of the breakaway league was met with furious protests from fans and fierce opposition from UEFA, which subsequently led to the demise of the project.

Leeds players wore t-shirts demanding that clubs should 'Earn It' with reference to Champions League football before their game back on April 19 while one of them was left in the Liverpool dressing room which left Jurgen Klopp furious.

'If somebody thinks they have to remind us that that you need to earn a place in the Champions League, that's a joke it's a real joke and it makes me angry,' he said.

Klopp and his captain for that evening James Milner both stated they did not support the Super League plans before Henderson, who was injured for the game with Leeds, led the squad in releasing statements condemning the idea the following day.

Despite uniting with Leeds players in denouncing the now defunct European Super League, Henderson believes they crossed the line by wearing the shirts before the 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

The club's chief executive Victor Orta held up one of the t-shirts towards Klopp and his players during the match while Leeds' official Twitter account referred to Liverpool as 'European Super League side Merseyside Reds' in another jibe at them.

'The T-shirts, I felt, were disrespectful,' Henderson told The New York Times.

'The players hadn't done anything. It wasn't something we wanted.'

Liverpool's billionaire owner John W Henry was one of the leading figures in talks to get the breakaway league off the ground and was forced to apologise after the backlash from fans.

Although supporters were angered by Henry's involvement, Henderson stressed that he and Fenway Sports Group have overall had a positive impact on the club.

'If you look at it, they've done a good job,' he added.

'They've grown the club. They've put money in. They've built a new training ground. They brought the manager in.'