Jack Hendry primed for first Dammam derby with Al-Ettifaq

LONDON: Al-Ettifaq center back Jack Hendry knows a fair bit about cross-city rivalries. He played for Dundee against Dundee United, for Club Brugge against Cercle Brugge and, most notably, for Celtic against Rangers in the Old Firm Derby.

On Saturday, Hendry will face a new foe when he lines up in Al-Ettifaq’s defense against high-flying Al-Qadsiah. For the past few years, Al-Ettifaq has been Dammam’s leading club, but this season it has been undeniably usurped by rivals Al-Qadsiah.

Michel’s newly promoted side has enjoyed a stellar season on its return to the Kingdom’s top flight, currently lying third in the Saudi Pro League table and making it to the final of the King’s Cup.

“Hats off to Qadsiah, they’ve had a very good season,” Hendry told Arab News in an exclusive interview. “They’ve had good recruitment, bringing in players that have worked well for them.

“We really want to match that and will continue to work hard to be the main team in Dammam. I think we’re very much capable of doing that. It’s been a disappointing season but we are extremely motivated to be the No. 1 team in the city for our fans, because we know how much it means to them.”

He added: “This is something I am really hungry for. I moved to Al-Ettifaq to accomplish something in football; we don’t want to be finishing mid-table, we want to be winning the King’s Cup, qualifying for Asian competition and challenging at the top of the league.”

Hendry’s winning mentality is ingrained after spells at Celtic in his native Scotland and Club Brugge in Belgium — both clubs expected to consistently challenge for every domestic trophy.

It was this hunger that initially convinced him to move to Al-Ettifaq in summer 2023, excited by the possibility of