Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has taken aim at Leeds United for their iconic protests against now-shelved European Super League (ESL) breakaway proposals.
As recently as last month, the future of football as we know it was thrown into serious doubt when controversial reform plans - spearheaded by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and the American owners at three Premier League clubs - emerged.
Along with five other Premier League outfits, the Reds were one of 12 initial signatories to the ESL reform.
However, amid widespread backlash from supporters, other top-flight clubs and key figures across the game, the much-maligned proposals were ultimately stopped in their tracks.
Around 24 hours after that alarming news first broke, the Whites welcomed Liverpool to Elland Road for a Premier League clash which saw plenty of tension in the air.
Indeed, Leeds players wore t-shirts featuring the slogan 'Earn It' during their pre-match routine.
Much to the satisfaction of supporters elsewhere, the also club irked Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at that time as they laid out matching t-shirts in the away dressing room.
Similarly to his manager, midfielder Henderson felt those protests were misplaced.
During an interview with The New York Times, the England international, who faces a race against time to be fit for the delayed Euro 2020 championships, said: "The t-shirts, I felt, were disrespectful. The players hadn't done anything. It wasn't something we wanted."
On the pitch, Leeds made another statement by following up an impressive 2-1 victory over champions Manchester City with a hard-fought point against Liverpool.
They went on to hold bitter rivals Manchester United a few days later, too, as Marcelo Bielsa's men underlined their credentials to claim a top-half finish in their first season back in the Premier League.
