102 Facts About Thierry Henry

1.

Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player.

2.

Thierry Henry is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, and one the greatest players of the Premier League history.

3.

Thierry Henry was named the FWA Footballer of the Year a record three times, the PFA Players' Player of the Year a joint-record two times, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times.

4.

Thierry Henry was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI once and the UEFA Team of the Year five times.

5.

In 2004, Thierry Henry was named by Pele in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

6.

Thierry Henry made his professional debut with Monaco in 1994 before signing for defending Serie A champions Juventus.

7.

Under long-time mentor and coach Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions.

8.

Thierry Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times, won two FA Cups and two Premier League titles with the club, including one during an unbeaten Invincible season.

9.

Thierry Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.

10.

Thierry Henry had success with France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.

11.

Thierry Henry was named French Player of the Year a record five times, named to the UEFA Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament, awarded both the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and named to the 2006 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

12.

Thierry Henry began coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015, in tandem with his work as a pundit for Sky Sports.

13.

Thierry Henry was relieved of his duties at Monaco in January 2019 and returned to MLS less than a year later to manage Montreal Impact.

14.

Thierry Henry led Montreal to the playoffs in the 2020 season before departing in 2021, returning to his role as an assistant coach for Belgium for a year and a half.

15.

Thierry Henry is of Antillean heritage: his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe, and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique.

16.

Thierry Henry was born and raised in Les Ulis suburb of Paris which, despite sometimes being seen as a tough neighbourhood, provided good footballing facilities.

17.

Thierry Henry's father pressured him to attend training, although the youngster was not particularly drawn to football.

18.

Thierry Henry joined US Palaiseau in 1989, but after a year his father fell out with the club, so Henry moved to ES Viry-Chatillon and played there for two years.

19.

Thierry Henry continued to impress at his tenure with Monaco, and in his five seasons with the club, the young winger scored 20 league goals in 105 appearances.

20.

Thierry Henry played on the wing, as well as at wing back and wide midfield, but he was ineffective as a goal scorer, struggling against the defensive discipline exhibited by teams in Serie A, registering just three goals in 16 appearances.

21.

In 2019, on Jamie Carragher's podcast The Greatest Game, Thierry Henry attributed disagreements with Juve director Luciano Moggi as his rationale behind departing the club.

22.

Thierry Henry remained frustrated by the fact that he had yet to help the club win honours, and frequently expressed his desire to establish Arsenal as a powerhouse.

23.

Thierry Henry became the league's top goalscorer and netted 32 goals in all competitions as he led Arsenal to a double and his first silverware with the club.

24.

Nonetheless, Thierry Henry was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.

25.

Thierry Henry's rising status as one of the world's best footballers was affirmed when he emerged runner-up for the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

26.

Thierry Henry was again instrumental in Arsenal's exceptionally successful campaign; together with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires, Thierry Henry ensured that the Gunners became the first team in more than a century to go through the entire domestic league season unbeaten, claiming the league title in the process.

27.

Apart from being named for the second year running as the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year, Thierry Henry emerged as the runner-up for 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

28.

However, as was the case in 2002, Thierry Henry was unable to lead the national side to honours during UEFA Euro 2004.

29.

Thierry Henry maintained his reputation as one of Europe's most feared strikers as he led the league in scoring, and with 31 goals in all competitions, he was the co-recipient of the European Golden Boot, becoming the first player to officially win the award twice in a row.

30.

The unexpected departure of Arsenal's captain Patrick Vieira in the 2005 close season led to Thierry Henry being awarded club captaincy, a role which many felt was not naturally suited for him; the captaincy is more commonly given to defenders or midfielders, who are better-placed on the pitch to read the game.

31.

On 17 October 2005, Thierry Henry became the club's top goalscorer of all time; two goals against Sparta Prague in the Champions League meant he broke Ian Wright's record of 185 goals.

32.

Thierry Henry scored his 100th league goal at Highbury, a feat unparalleled in the history of the club, and a unique achievement in the Premier League.

33.

Thierry Henry completed the season as the league's top goalscorer, was voted the FWA Footballer of the Year for the third time in his career, and was selected in the FIFA World XI.

34.

At Barcelona, Thierry Henry was given the number 14 jersey, the same as he had worn at Arsenal.

35.

Thierry Henry expressed dissatisfaction with the move to Barcelona in the initial year, amidst widespread speculation of a return to the Premier League.

36.

Thierry Henry won the first trophy of his Barcelona career on 13 May 2009 when Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.

37.

In July 2010, Thierry Henry signed a multi-year contract with Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls for the 2010 season as its second designated player.

38.

Thierry Henry made his second Arsenal debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round and scored the only goal.

39.

On 17 February 2012, Thierry Henry returned to Red Bulls to prepare for the 2012 season.

40.

Thierry Henry was named MLS Player of the Month that same month.

41.

On 1 December 2014, it was announced that Thierry Henry had left the Red Bulls after four-and-a-half years at the club.

42.

Thierry Henry enjoyed a successful career with the France national team, winning the first of his 123 caps in June 1997, when his good form for Monaco was rewarded with a call-up to the Under-20 French national team, where he played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship alongside future teammates William Gallas and David Trezeguet.

43.

Thierry Henry was a member of France's UEFA Euro 2000 squad, again scoring three goals in the tournament, including the equaliser against Portugal in the semi-final, and finishing as the country's top scorer.

44.

France lost against Senegal in their first group match and Thierry Henry was red carded for a dangerous sliding challenge in their next match against Uruguay.

45.

Thierry Henry returned to form for his country at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.

46.

Thierry Henry was awarded both the Adidas Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the competition and the Adidas Golden Shoe as the tournament's top goalscorer with four goals.

47.

In UEFA Euro 2004, Thierry Henry played in all of France's matches and scored two goals.

48.

Thierry Henry played as a lone striker, but despite an indifferent start to the tournament, became one of the top players of the World Cup.

49.

Thierry Henry scored three goals, including the winning goal from Zidane's free kick against defending champions Brazil in the quarter-final.

50.

Thierry Henry did not take part in the penalty shoot-out, having been substituted in extra time after his legs had cramped.

51.

Thierry Henry was one of ten nominees for the Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament, an award which was ultimately presented to his teammate, Zidane and was named a starting striker on the 2006 FIFPro World XI team.

52.

On 13 October 2007, Thierry Henry scored his 41st goal against the Faroe Islands, joining Michel Platini as the country's top goalscorer of all time.

53.

On 3 June 2008, Thierry Henry made his 100th appearance for the national team in a match against Colombia, becoming the sixth French player ever to reach that milestone.

54.

Thierry Henry missed the opening game of France's short-lived UEFA Euro 2008 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stages after being drawn in the same group as Italy, the Netherlands and Romania.

55.

Thierry Henry said that he contemplated retiring from international football after the reactions to the incident, but maintained that he was not a "cheat"; hours after FIFA had ruled out a replay, he stated that "the fairest solution would be to replay the game".

56.

Blatter said Thierry Henry told him that his family had been threatened in the aftermath of the incident.

57.

Thierry Henry did not feature in the starting line-up for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

58.

Thierry Henry then announced his retirement from international football, having won 123 caps and scored 51 goals for Les Bleus, thus finishing his international career as France's all-time top scorer, and second most capped player after Lilian Thuram.

59.

When Thierry Henry joined Arsenal in 1999, Wenger immediately changed this, switching Thierry Henry to his childhood position, often pairing him with Dutch veteran Dennis Bergkamp.

60.

Still, Thierry Henry remained Arsenal's main offensive threat, on many occasions conjuring spectacular goals.

61.

Wenger said of his fellow Frenchman: "Thierry Henry could take the ball in the middle of the park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score".

62.

Thierry Henry was influenced by Romario, Ronaldo and Liberian star George Weah, a new breed of strikers in the 1990s who would operate outside the penalty area before running with the ball towards goal.

63.

In set pieces, Thierry Henry was the first-choice penalty and free kick taker for Arsenal, scoring regularly from those situations.

64.

Thierry Henry was a notable exponent of a no-look pass where he would feint to pass the ball with his right foot, but would make contact with the ball using his standing foot.

65.

Thierry Henry began coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015, in tandem with his work for Sky Sports.

66.

Thierry Henry was reportedly offered the position of head coach by Bordeaux in August 2018.

67.

Days after turning down the Bordeaux job, and following Jones's departure from the Belgium national team, Thierry Henry, who had been the forwards coach, was promoted to Belgium assistant coach.

68.

Thierry Henry adopted a hands-on approach to training sessions, being regularly involved in devising schemes and instructing drills.

69.

Thierry Henry secured two wins in December, defeating Amiens in the league and Lorient in the Coupe de la Ligue this was on the backdrop of three additional Ligue 1 defeats to close 2018 in the relegation zone.

70.

In January 2019, Thierry Henry entered the winter transfer window, where he signed left-back Fode Ballo-Toure, and former Arsenal teammate Cesc Fabregas from Chelsea.

71.

The club were 19th at the time of his departure, and Thierry Henry left with a record of 4 wins, 5 draws, and 11 defeats, from 20 games in charge.

72.

On 14 November 2019, Thierry Henry signed with Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact, signing a two-year deal until the end of the 2021 season, with an option to extend it by a year until the 2022 season.

73.

Thierry Henry had not been able to see them in the 2020 season due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with restrictions continuing into the 2021 season, he decided to end the separation.

74.

In May 2021, Thierry Henry rejoined the coaching staff of Belgium prior to the UEFA Euro 2020.

75.

Thierry Henry was in the team's coaching staff for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

76.

Thierry Henry was considered as being one of potential replacements for Corinne Diacre who got fired as France women's national football team head coach, but he turned down the possibility of managing them in favor of waiting for United States men's national soccer team permanent head coach position offer.

77.

Thierry Henry joined CBS Sports in their UEFA Champions League coverage as studio analyst on 27 September 2021, as well as being hired by Amazon Prime Video for their Premier League and Ligue 1 programs as consultant.

78.

Thierry Henry has received many plaudits and awards in his football career.

79.

Thierry Henry was runner-up for the 2003 and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year awards; in those two seasons, he won back-to-back PFA Players' Player of the Year titles.

80.

Thierry Henry is the only player ever to have won the FWA Footballer of the Year three times, and the French Player of the Year on a record four occasions.

81.

Thierry Henry was voted into the Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade in the 10 Seasons Awards poll in 2003, and in 2004 he was named by football legend Pele on the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

82.

In terms of goal-scoring awards, Thierry Henry was the European Golden Boot winner in 2004 and 2005.

83.

Thierry Henry was the top goalscorer in the Premier League for a record four seasons.

84.

Thierry Henry held the record for most goals in the competition for one club, until it was broken by Rooney in 2016, and held the record for most goals by a foreign player in the competition until surpassed by Aguero in 2020.

85.

In two other 2008 surveys, Thierry Henry emerged as the favourite Premier League player of all time among 32,000 people surveyed in the Barclays 2008 Global Fan Report.

86.

Thierry Henry married English model Nicole Merry, real name Claire, on 5 July 2003.

87.

Thierry Henry dedicated his first goal following Tea's birth to her by holding his fingers in a "T" shape and kissing them after scoring in a match against Newcastle United.

88.

When Thierry Henry was still at Arsenal, he purchased a home in Hampstead, North London.

89.

Thierry Henry stated in an interview that he admires basketball, as it is similar to football in pace and excitement.

90.

Thierry Henry makes a short cameo appearance in the 2015 film Entourage.

91.

Thierry Henry's part sees him walking a dog and having exchange with Ari Gold, who is an over-the-top Hollywood agent.

92.

Thierry Henry makes a number of cameo appearances playing himself in the Apple TV+ football comedy series Ted Lasso.

93.

Thierry Henry is a member of the UNICEF-FIFA squad, where together with other professional footballers he appeared in a series of TV spots seen by hundreds of millions of fans around the world during the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.

94.

Thierry Henry has played in charity football games for various causes.

95.

In 2006, Thierry Henry was valued as the ninth-most commercially marketable footballer in the world, and throughout his career he has signed many endorsements and appeared in commercials.

96.

At the beginning of his career, Thierry Henry signed with sportswear giant Nike.

97.

In February 2007, Thierry Henry was named as one of the three global ambassadors of Gillette's "Champions Program," which purported to feature three of the "best-known, most widely respected and successful athletes competing today" and showcased Roger Federer and Tiger Woods in a series of television commercials.

98.

Thierry Henry was part of Pepsi's "Dare For More" campaign in 2005, alongside the likes of David Beckham and Ronaldinho.

99.

Thierry Henry starred in a 2014 advert for Beats headphones with other global football stars including Neymar and Luis Suarez, with the theme of "The Game Before the Game" and the players pre-game ritual of listening to music.

100.

Thierry Henry featured on the front cover of the editions of EA Sports' FIFA video game series from FIFA 2001 to FIFA 2005.

101.

Thierry Henry was included as an icon to the Ultimate Team in FIFA 18.

102.

Thierry Henry was a cover star for the Konami Pro Evolution Soccer video game series, and was featured on the covers of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 to Pro Evolution Soccer 6.