Liam Henderson: the Scottish footballer who built his career in Italy

Henderson, who became the first Scot to play in Serie A for 30 years, is living in Sicily and, occasionally, missing the rain

By Simone Pierotti for Nutmeg magazine

“People are still going to the beach here.” Liam Henderson has been living in sunny Italy for almost six years now but he still seems amazed by the endless summer. Last August, as the transfer window was about to close, he left Serie A side Empoli on loan for Palermo in the second tier, heading down to Sicily. It wasn’t a career setback though. Palermo is 80% owned by the City Group and they have assembled a highly competitive, ambitious squad with the goal of promotion. Henderson is a key piece of the puzzle.

I meet Henderson on a pleasant day at the new Palermo training centre in Torretta, a village halfway between the Punta Raisi Airport and the city. The seaside is just a 15-minute drive away, but the football pitches are nestled among the mountains. The complex is set within an olive tree grove, the old manor house having been converted into the clubhouse, where players and the staff eat their meals and spend their leisure time.

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