If you’ve heard the term “Football Story 101,” it’s essentially a crash course in the lives of football legends, and Thierry Henry is a prime example. While Henry is widely celebrated for his incredible achievements on the pitch—especially by Arsenal fans who fondly recall his iconic moments—few people know about his humble and challenging beginnings. This article aims to shed light on these lesser-known aspects of his life, diving into the untold stories of football legends, including Thierry Henry. Many believe he deserved the Ballon d’Or over Pavel Nedvěd in 2003, highlighting just how significant his impact on the game has been.
Thierry Henry: How a Tough Childhood Shaped a Football Legend
Preamble:
Here’s a glimpse into Thierry Henry’s story: His family lived in a small apartment with less-than-ideal conditions, but his father, Antoine, encouraged him to focus his energy on sports. Antoine would take Henry to local soccer matches, where he began to connect with other immigrant kids in the neighbourhood. It soon became apparent that Henry was a standout player among his peers. He joined the junior teams of Les Ulis and Palaiseau, and by the age of 13, he was playing for Viry-Chatillon’s Under-15 team.
However, just when Thierry needed his parents most, they separated. His mother fought hard for custody, and ultimately, she won the right to raise Thierry, navigating the challenges of his early life. His mother moved him from his dad and their beloved football town to Orsay, enrolling him at Alexander Fleming School to focus on academics. Realizing that academics weren’t his true passion, Thierry Henry eventually left to pursue his love for soccer. At the academy, he signed an apprenticeship contract with Arsène Wenger, then the manager of the Monaco team.
In a nutshell, this version of Thierry Henry’s biography, including his childhood story, offers a comprehensive look at his journey from his early years to his rise to fame. We dive into his life before he became a household name, exploring his family background and sharing many lesser-known facts about him, both on and off the pitch. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
Thierry Henry Childhood Story – Early Years and Family Background:
The childhood smile of Thierry Henry. Some things never change.
For his Biography starters, Henry was born on the 17th day of August 1977 in Les Ulis, Essonne, a suburb of Paris, to his dad, Antoine Henry and mother, Maryse Henry.
Both parents are French but have their origins in other countries. Thierry Henry’s father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe (La Désirade island). Fellow footballers – the likes of Mathys Tel, The Thurams (first son Marcus, father Lilian, second son Khephren), Anthony Martial, Mike Maignan (GK), Alexandre Lacazette, etc have their roots traced to Guadeloupe.
On the other hand, Thierry Henry’s mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. Both came to France to better their lives.
Henry’s family lived in a small apartment with less-than-ideal living conditions, but his father, Antoine, encouraged him to channel his energy into sports. Antoine would take Henry to local soccer matches, and through these experiences, Thierry began to bond with other immigrant kids in his neighbourhood.
It quickly became clear that Henry was a standout player compared to his peers. He started playing for the junior teams of Les Ulis and Palaiseau, and by the age of 13, he was already playing for Viry-Chatillon’s Under-15 team.
This is young Thierry Henry in his childhood days.
His abilities were impressive enough to earn him a spot in CO Les Ulis’ youth club.
Thierry Henry Background – Separation of His Parents:
Just about the time when Thierry Henry needed his parents most, the unfortunate happened. Both parents separated. It was his mother who won the quest to have custody of Thierry after many battles for child custody.
His mother took him away from his dad and his lovely football town to Orsay, where she got him admitted into the Alexander Fleming School to focus on academics.
Having known that wasn’t his calling, Thierry Henry later bolted out. He switched to soccer.
At 14, they elected him into the French Football Federation’s Clairfontaine Academy.
Thierry Henry Biography – Career Summary:
At the academy, Henry signed an apprenticeship contract with Arsène Wenger, who was then the manager of the Monaco team. Henry made his professional debut in 1994 during a 2-0 defeat against Nice, where Wenger positioned him on the left wing.
In 1996, Henry was named France’s Young Player of the Year under the mentorship of Arsène Wenger. He led the French under-18 team to victory at the European Championship, scoring seven goals in the tournament.
His outstanding performances in various competitions earned him a spot on the French squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Henry continued to impress at Monaco, where he scored 20 goals in 105 matches.
Zidane and Thierry Henry during their Juventus playing days. Not many soccer fans know this.
In 1999, Henry left Monaco to join Italian Serie A club Juventus, who paid £10.5 million for him. That same year, he scored his first goal for Juventus in a 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio.
After a while, he was transferred to Arsenal for £11 million, reuniting with his former mentor Arsène Wenger. And as they say, the rest is history.
Thierry Henry Claire Merry Story:
At this time, everything was going well until their love crumbled.
Thierry Henry met English model Claire Merry while filming the Renault Clio adverts in 2001. Both fell in love at first sight. On July 5th 2003, they got married at Highclere Castle.
They had their first child, Tea, on May 27th 2005. She is now a grownup.
This is Tea, Thierry Henry’s daughter.
Divorce Story:
Footballer Thierry Henry and make-up artist Sadie Hewlett started having an affair after they worked on a photo shoot together.
Apparently, Henry’s wife, Claire Merry, found out her husband was cheating and filed for an £8m divorce settlement, which she went her way.
This painful divorce happened after Theirry Henry had just transferred to FC Barcelona.
Henry shared, “A divorce is never easy, especially when there’s a daughter involved.” He also spoke about his deep love for his daughter, Tea, and how becoming a father has profoundly changed him.
Finding Love Again:
After his messy divorce, Thierry Henry found true love again. He moved quickly into a new relationship, which today is said to have lasted longer than his last.
Thierry Henry found love again in Bosnian model Andrea Rajacic. They met in 2008 and have been spotted together on various vacations and outings.
Thierry and Andrea Rajacic.
They certainly match a stunning couple, and there seems to be no trouble in paradise. One wonders why the two aren’t married yet or if the subject has ever arisen between them.
Nowadays, there’s no particular need to put a ring on it, and why ruin a perfectly good relationship with a wedding? Plenty of celebrity couples remain unmarried and have been happy together for many years.
Given that Thierry has been there and done that, and it turned into a mess, it seems understandable that he wouldn’t want to do it again.
Thierry Henry’s Idol:
NBA once organised a special one-on-one interview between Thierry Henry and basketball legend Kobe Bryant, where both the players discussed their footballing idols.
To everyone’s surprise, both the players mentioned the name of Dutch star and AC Milan legend Marco van Basten, who is one of the greatest players of his time.
“Marco van Basten was my favourite player,” Henry said. “He’s one of the best strikers in history. I watched him as a child, and his way of hitting the ball was incredible. I tried to imitate every move he made.”
His Favorite Goal:
Henry scored some real belters in his time at Arsenal. The Frenchman scored 228 goals for the Gunners and continues to be the highest goalscorer in the London club’s 130-old-year history.
However, his favourite goal was not one where he scored a sensation volley or dribbled through a large number of players. It was instead the one he scored against Leeds United in his first game back in an Arsenal shirt.
“That goal was personal for me. It might not be a historic moment in the FA Cup, but it was the first time I scored as a fan of the club. I wasn’t supposed to come back, but I did. Also, I wasn’t supposed to play, but I did. Again, I wasn’t supposed to score, but I did. It was an incredibly emotional experience. It wasn’t about technique or the score; it was about what it meant to me.”
His Favorite Premier League Player:
This one will definitely delight Manchester United fans. In an exclusive with Sky Sports, Henry revealed that the best player he has played against and seen in the Premier League is none other than United midfield legend, Paul Scholes.
Henry stated that Scholes has never been given the credit he deserves and the central midfielder was absolutely crucial to Manchester United’s success in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The Frenchman added that if he had to select a team, it would revolve around Scholes.
“He’s one of the best, if not the best, I’ve ever played against—he could do it all. If I had a Paul Scholes on my team, everything would revolve around him.
At Manchester United, they saw him that way too. In my opinion, Paul Scholes is one of the finest players I’ve ever faced in this league and beyond.”
Loves Food:
Despite Arsene Wenger’s insistence on a balanced, plain diet, Henry would munch his way through half a packet of Jelly Babies before each game. He always bit the head off first.
Despite being strict about his fitness, the Frenchman loves to gorge on chicken, peas, rice, and Caribbean food.
His Mentor:
Thierry Henry did not end up at Arsenal the usual way. The transfer actually happened after a chance meeting between Wenger and Henry.
The striker revealed in an Arsenal Legends documentary that he accidentally met Wenger aboard a flight to Paris and expressed his desire to join him at Arsenal.
The Arsenal manager then got down to work, and Henry became an Arsenal player in August 1999.
After moving to Juventus, Henry struggled to adjust to Italian football. Four months into his stint, he ran into Arsène Wenger on a flight to Paris and told his former Monaco boss that he would love to join him at Arsenal.
When Nicolas Anelka was sold to Real Madrid in the summer of 1999, Wenger remembered that conversation and paid the Italian side £10m for his protege. It worked out quite well.
Pre-Match Ritual:
The legend, in an exclusive interview with Four Four Two, revealed that he did not have many pre-match rituals and would only listen to high-tempo rap music or Zouk music to get him in the zone before a match.
Some of his favourite artists are Dr Dre, Snoop Dog, Xzibit, Wu-Tang Klan and Tupac.
Music has always been a big part of Henry’s pre-match plans, and the player is glad that coaches and managers are more liberal with its use nowadays.
“It works differently for me because music is always on in my life – whatever I’m doing. When I’m in my house, in the car, out and about.
Music takes me back to different places. If I want to go back to when I was young and see myself playing with my dad I know exactly what music to listen to. And I know what music to play to put me in the mood for a game.”
Favorite Song:
Henry has always stressed that music was his way of getting in the zone. But the song that was always on his playlist was Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’.
The Frenchman revealed that he would always listen to the song and say ‘I’m not’, but once France won the World Cup, he actually started connecting with the song.
“I’ll always remember winning the World Cup and listening to that song – they’re connected for me.”
Thierry Henry Tattoos:
Henry is definitely a standout figure, not just for his football skills but also for his love of tattoos. He has proudly unveiled an impressive full-sleeve tattoo on his right arm, adding to his already intricate body art collection.
The tattoo is displayed prominently on the left arm of a ginger-bearded man wearing a black vest and a gold chain around his neck.
The new tattoo adds to the New York-themed body art on his left arm.
The tattoo on Henry’s left arm features the Statue of Liberty and what appears to be the Brooklyn Bridge.
A Big Fan of Basket Ball:
If you believe that Henry was only a big football fan, you’re mistaken. The striker has, for all obvious reasons, a strong dislike for Spurs when it comes to football but is a big San Antonio Spurs fan when it comes to basketball.
In fact, he has been spotted on occasions donning the San Antonio Spurs hat and jersey.
Kobe Bryant of LA Lakers (now retired) and Tony Parker of San Antonio are two players that Henry often hangs out with. The Frenchman has even visited his compatriot Parker during his practice sessions.
Thierry Henry Movies:
Henry’s interest in movies is not just restricted to watching them on the big screen. The French footballer has also starred in a few films.
Apart from the Goal movie series, the Frenchman has also featured in Entourage, the movie version of the famous TV show.
Henry has also been a part of documentaries like The Referee, Substitute and 1:1 Thierry Henry, all of which are based on football in one way or another.
Loves Dancing:
Henry is good with his feet, not just when it comes to football but on the dance floor as well.
The player has often shown his moves on the football field in various hilarious ways. Henry totally fits the Caribbean stereotype and absolutely loves dancing.
In his biography, Lonely at the Top, the Frenchman revealed that after the World Cup win in 1998, he and the other French players danced through the night on a makeshift dance floor with the World Cup trophy in between while he improvised some great Russian dance steps.
The Stature:
Today, the Arsenal Football Club has honoured a trio of Club legends by unveiling three statues outside Emirates Stadium.
That of Thierry Henry was commemorated in bronze. This was made at Arsenal’s 125th-anniversary celebration.
Rankings:
Find below our analysis of the Arsenal Legend‘s rankings, compiled during his prime.
