Kown more news for player of FIFA 15 and buyer of FIFA 15 coins.
Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from football after 20 years of service to the game which saw him play for five clubs, winning 19 titles and an endless list of individual honours along the way.
He said, “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.”
The 37-year-old confirmed that he will now be working as a pundit for Sky Sports as of 2015.
“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.”
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe a man of such legendary status but hero, icon, genius, idol are just a few words that have been used in an attempt to label the Frenchman.
Monaco and Juventus
Henry’s professional career began at Monaco in 1994, aged 17, where he went on to make 141 club appearances, scored 28 goals and won Ligue 1 and the French Super Cup before leaving for Juventus in January 1999.
The move to Italy was probably the lowest point of his career as he struggled to settle in and was unable to influence the game playing as a left-winger.
Arsenal
Just eight months later, Henry was on the move again and this time it was to be a life-changing moment as he joined Arsenal, but perhaps more importantly at the time, he joined up with his former Monaco manager Arsene Wenger.
Wenger decided to push Henry up-front as opposed to out wide, and essentially the rest is history.
He notched an incredible 226 goals in 369 appearances for the club and in the meantime became Arsenal’s all-time top goalscorer as Ian Wright’s previous record of 185 was blown out of the water.
As well as numerous Golden Boot awards, he lifted three FA Cup’s and two Premier League titles and was part of the famous ‘Invincibles’ side of the 2003-04 season.
Barcelona
Desperate for Champions League success that eluded him at Arsenal, Henry made an emotional farewell in 2007 to join Spanish giants Barcelona.
He spent three years in Spain scoring 49 goals in 121 appearances, winning two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and his dreams also came true when the Catalan side lifted the Champions League title in 2009. He then went on to also win the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Barca.
New York Red Bulls
In 2010, Henry made his move to MLS and joined up with the New York Red Bulls where he spent four seasons and scored 52 goals in 135 appearances in all competitions. He returned to Arsenal for a brief loan spell in the 2011-12 campaign and scored twice for the Gunners taking his overall goals tally at the club to 228.
France national team
As well as the remarkable achievements in club football, Henry was also part of the French national team between 1997 and 2010. He scored 51 international goals in 123 appearances and was a World Cup winner in 1998, a European Championship winner in 2000 and a FIFA Confederations Cup winner in 2003.
He finishes his career having played an overall total of 915 competitive matches for club and country, while scoring a monumental 411 goals.
Key moments of each year from Henry’s illustrious career:
1994 – Professional debut for Monaco on August 31
1995 – Became first-team regular with Monaco
1996 – French Young Footballer of the Year
1997 – Ligue 1 winner with Monaco
1998 – World Cup winner with France
1999 – Joined Arsenal from Juventus
2000 – European Championship winner with France
2001 – Included in PFA and UEFA Team of the Year
2002 – Premier League and FA Cup winner with Arsenal (PL Golden Boot winner)
2003 – FA Cup winner with Arsenal and FIFA Confederations Cup winner with France
2004 – Premier League ‘Invincibles’ winner with Arsenal (PL Golden Boot winner)
2005 – FA Cup winner with Arsenal (PL Golden Boot winner)
2006 – Champions League finalist and scored last ever goal at Highbury in a 4-2 win vs. Wigan (PL Golden Boot winner)
2007 – Joined Barcelona
2008 – Entered into English Football Hall of Fame
2009 – La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup winner with Barcelona
2010 – Joined New York Red Bulls and topped Eastern Conference
2011 – MLS All-Star
2012 – MLS All-Star and returned to Arsenal for loan spell
2013 – MLS Supporters’ Shield winner with New York Red Bulls
2014 – Retired from football and became Sky Sports pundit
In his announcement Henry mentioned how he hoped that we have “enjoyed watching as much as I have enjoyed taking part” and it’s fair to say that we have all enjoyed watching him play and many will continue to reminisce in years to come over some of the incredible goals and special moments in his career.
