Thierry Henry has called time on a glittering football career by announcing his retirement this morning.
The Frenchman is one of the most recognisable figures in world football, having played across five leagues during an illustrious career that spanned 20 years.
Henry made the biggest impact of his career during his time with Arsenal, having been signed in 1999 by Arsene Wenger who knew Henry well from their time together at Monaco.
When Henry made the move from Juventus to Highbury, he began to establish himself as a true world class talent, going on to become the North London club’s all-time top goalscorer with 228 goals and winning the Premier League and FA Cup for Arsenal.
He has won trophies for almost every club he’s played for, including the Champions League and La Liga with Barcelona, the French League at Monaco and the MLS Shield with the New York Red Bulls. In terms of individual honours, Henry has been awarded the European Golden Boot twice as well as the Premier League Golden Boot four times.
He has also been named French Footballer of the Year an amazing five times, after playing in a France side that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. The goal machine now moves on to a role in television, joining a Sky Sports team that includes former opponents Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
In a statement released this morning, the sporting icon revealed his decision:
“After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football. It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and of course the French National Team that have made my time in the game so special.
It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports. I will hopefully share some of the insights, observations and experiences I have learnt over the years with you guys.
I have had some amazing memories (mostly good!) and a wonderful experience.
I hope you have enjoyed watching as much as I have enjoyed taking part.
See you on the other side…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i9t6MH-b-Q