Thierry Henry is a former professional soccer player who played as a striker for France and other club-level teams. He is currently the assistant coach of the Belgium national soccer team.
Born in Les Ulis, France, on August 17, 1977, Thierry Henry is one of the best strikers in soccer history. Throughout his playing time, the forward won many trophies at club and national levels. Besides, the Frenchman is one of the few players who has won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship trophy, and the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Nicknamed “Titi,” Henry started his soccer career at an early age in his hometown. Keep reading the article to learn everything about the former French forward.
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Thierry Henry Youth Career
As a youth player, Henry joined his local team at the age of 6. He spent six years at CO Les Ulis before joining US Palaiseau. One year later, the youngster moved to Viry-Châtillon. In 1992, he joined INF Clairefontaine before moving to Monaco the same year.
Scout Arnold Catalano spotted Henry in 1990. Monaco sent him to watch the young player after they were made aware of his performances. Young Henry scored six goals during the match and was immediately approached by Catalano.
From Monaco B Team To The Senior Squad
Thierry Henry started in Monaco’s B team. Between 1994 to 1995, the forward made a total of 19 appearances scoring six goals. He made his first senior debut on August 31, 1994. Arsène Wenger managed Monaco at that time. His first match for Monaco ended in a 2-0 defeat against Nice.
In 1996, Henry won the French Young Soccer Player of the Year award. During the 1996-97 league campaign, the player helped Monaco claim the Ligue 1 title. At that time, he was primarily used as a winger rather than a striker.
During his playing time at Monaco, the Frenchman made 105 appearances and scored 20 goals. Henry spent five years with the French club before moving to Juventus in 1999. The Italian club bought the player for a fee of £10.5 million.
1998 FIFA World Cup
Henry joined the national squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was held in France. Les Bleus defeated Brazil by 3-0 to claim their first-ever FIFA World Cup trophy.
At the age of 21, Henry finished the competition as France’s top scorer. The French forward scored three goals, one more than fellow teammate Zinedine Zidane. It would mark the beginning of a golden era for Titi.
Quick Spell At Juventus
Thierry Henry joined Juventus in January 1999. Titi moved to the Italian side with the hope of excelling as a striker. Instead, he was deployed as a winger, a position that he did not relish. Moreover, after few months at the club, he was growing frustrated because of the defensive style of play of Italian Serie A clubs.
Besides, Henry was not always on the same wavelength as Juve director Luciano Moggi. It eventually led to his transfer to Arsenal on August 3, 1999, for £11 million. He joined former coach Arsène Wenger at the club. During his time at the Juve, the Frenchman played 16 games and scored three times.
The Rise Of Thierry Henry At Arsenal
Thierry Henry’s arrival at Arsenal proved successful to both the player and the club. Wenger brought him to replace Nicolas Anelka, who moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 1999. Titi was therefore deployed as a striker, a move that would make him into one of the best goal-scorers in the history of the Premier League and soccer.
Initially, the first eight games of Titi in England raised questions among fans as the striker failed to score a single goal. As a result, many challenged Wenger’s decision to promote him to the striking position. However, as the season moved on, the French forward started to adapt to the team’s playing style.
Arsenal finished that campaign in second place behind Manchester United. Besides, Henry managed a total of 26 goals during his first Premier League season. The player turned doubters into believers thanks to his impressive goal-scoring performances.
Arsenal secured qualification to the 2000 UEFA Cup final. However, Turkish side Galatasaray won the trophy on penalties. Henry finished the competition as the second-best striker with seven goals.
UEFA Euro 2000 Champions
Titi’s phenomenal rise as a striker helped France secure a second UEFA European Championship during the Euro 2000 campaign. The ceremony took place in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Henry finished the campaign as France’s leading goalscorer. The French striker scored three goals in the tournament. In the final, Les Bleus defeated Italy by 2-1 in the extra time, thanks to a golden goal from David Trezeguet.
First Premier League Title For Thierry Henry
Henry finished as Arsenal’s leading goalscorer during his second season. The player registered 17 goals during the Premier League campaign and recorded nine assists. The Gunners ended the 2000-01 Premier League season in second place, 10 points behind winners Manchester United.
The 2001-02 season will remain a memorable season for Arsène Wenger’s men. Arsenal finished the season as Premier League Champions. A first for Thierry Henry and the gaffer. The Gunners finished the campaign with 87 points. Besides, Titi finished the season as the league’s top scorer with 24 goals, winning him the Golden Boot award.
In the FA Cup, The Gunners qualified for the final where they faced London rivals Chelsea FC. The soccer match took place on May 4, 2002, at the Millennium Stadium. Arsenal lifted the famous FA Cup trophy in front of 73,963 soccer fans.
The Gunners managed to retain their FA Cup trophy the following season. They defeated Southampton by 1-0 in the final. The only goal of the game came from French player Robert Pires. However, Arsenal failed to secure the Premier League trophy that season. The Red Devils won the award, while Henry’s team finished second.
A Golden Premier League Trophy
The 2003-04 Premier League season will forever remain in soccer’s history books. Arsenal achieved an incredible feat that season by going unbeaten throughout the Premier League campaign. The Gunners eventually won their second league title under manager Arsène Wenger.
Arsenal recorded a massive 90 points during the campaign, 11 points more than second-place Chelsea FC. Out of 38 games, The Gunners won 26 matches and made 12 draws. Titi won the Golden Boot award with 30 league goals, eight more than Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer.
Titi also won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award that season. In addition, following his impressive display, the French international earned himself a place in the PFA Team of the Year. Thierry Henry also claimed the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.
On the European stage, the Frenchman won the European Golden Boot trophy. The striker retained the prestigious award the following year, a prize he shared with Diego Forlán.
Thierry Henry As Arsenal’s Captain
Thierry Henry was presented with the captain armband in 2005 following the departure of Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman had a team comprised mostly of young players.
During the 2005-06 season, Titi became Arsenal’s all-time top goalscorer. He broke Ian Wright’s previous record of 185 goals on October 17, 2005, when he scored a brace against Sparta Prague in the Champions League. Thierry Henry has a record 228 goals for The Gunners in 377 appearances in all competitions.
The Arsenal captain also broke the record of Cliff Bastin for the most league goals less than one year later. Bastin’s old record was 150 goals for the London club in 350 games. Titi set a new record of 175 goals in 258 appearances.
The French striker claimed a third consecutive Golden Boot trophy in 2006 when he registered 27 goals for Arsenal in 32 games. Henry currently holds the record for the most Golden Boot awards won by a Premier League player, winning the trophy four times. Harry Kane (3 Golden Boots) and Mohamad Salah (2 Golden Boots) will look to equal his record in the coming seasons.
Thierry Henry Leaves Arsenal For Spain
Arsenal qualified for the 2006 UEFA Champions League final, where they faced Barcelona. The fixture took place at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, on May 17, 2006.
The Gunners took the lead thanks to a goal from Sol Campbell in the 37th minute of the game. However, the Spanish side overturned the score in the second half thanks to two goals from Samuel Eto and Juliano Belletti, respectively. Henry featured in the entire match, in which Arsenal lost by 2-1.
Titi’s Arsenal campaign was hit by an injury that lasted for quite some time. As a result, he missed most of the games from the 2006-07 league season. Despite renewing his contract for four additional years in 2006, the Arsenal legend eventually departed for Barcelona on June 25, 2007. Barça signed him on a 4-year contract for £20.5 million.
Thierry Henry Joins Barcelona
During his first season in Spain, Titi was utilized as a winger. The Frenchman pointed out that he preferred to play as a striker, but his demands got refused. Yet, the Arsenal legend finished the campaign as the club’s leading goal-scorer with 19 goals. In addition, the player registered nine assists, one less than fellow teammate Lionel Messi.
Thierry Henry’s second season at Barça saw the player score 26 goals and record 10 assists. Besides, Titi secured his first trophy with Barcelona by overcoming Atletic Bilbao by 4-1 in the Copa del Rey final. Furthermore, the club finished the 2008-09 La Liga campaign as Champions. Under the management of Pep Guardiola, Titi scored 19 goals that season.
In the 2009 UEFA Champions League final, Barcelona faced Manchester United at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Goals from Samuel Eto and Lionel Messi ensured that Henry won his first Champions League trophy.
The year 2009 brought more success as Henry, and his teammates won the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. This remarkable achievement meant that Henry won 6 trophies in one year with the Spanish side.
Titi Joins The Major League Soccer
Titi joined the Major League Soccer (MLS) in July 2010. The French international signed for MLS side New York Red Bulls. He made 11 appearances for his team and scored two goals. New York Red Bulls finished third in the overall league, winning the Supporters Shield.
Titi returned to Arsenal on loan for two months during the MLS off-season. The player featured in a total of seven games for The Gunners and scored two goals.
Thierry Henry returned to New York Red Bulls for the upcoming 2012 campaign. On October 27, 2013, Titi scored one goal and provided two assists as his team overcame Chicago Fire to finished the regular season as Champions. Thus, the club secured its first major trophy after 17 years.
Henry joined New York Red Bulls history books by becoming the top assist provider. The player recorded a total of 37 assists for the club. Finally, on December 1, 2014, Henry left the MLS club.
Thierry Henry Announces His Retirement
Thierry Henry announced his retirement from soccer on December 16, 2014. After his retirement, he joined Sky Sports as a pundit for three years. After that, Henry decided to pursue his soccer dreams as a coach.
Thierry Henry Stats
Thierry Henry stats are worth being told to the soccer world. The player’s performance throughout his career earned him a special place in the history of soccer.
Thierry Henry wore the number 14 jersey during his playing time at Arsenal, Barcelona, and New York Red Bulls. Besides, Henry tops the list of the Gunners Greatest 50 Players. During his playing career, the Arsenal Legend made 813 appearances and scored 366 goals.
Thierry Henry Awards and Trophies
Thierry Henry has won many awards and trophies as a soccer player for both club and country. Below is a detailed table showcasing his remarkable achievements.
Thierry Henry Appearances And Goals
[wptb id=9063]Thierry Henry Trophies At Club Level
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Thierry Henry Trophies At International Level
[wptb id=9115]Thierry Henry Individual Awards
Thierry Henry has won many individual awards during his time as a soccer player. The French international has two European Golden Shoe and four Premier League Golden Boot trophies. Besides, Titi has appeared five times in UEFA Team of the Year.
In addition, the player has been voted as France Soccer Player of the Year on five occasions. The list of awards won by Thierry Henry goes on. We at Football Toast have listed only the most popular ones.