Thierry Henry, a former French international, discusses the difficulties he had after leaving Arsenal in the summer of 2007 to join Spanish powerhouse Barcelona.
Thierry Henry, who left Arsenal in 1999 for £16 million to join Barcelona, spent eight years with the Gunners.
Henry set a club record with 228 goals for Arsenal, winning two Premier League titles and two FA Cups along the way, including the 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ season. He was also one of the first players to be inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame after winning four Golden Boots.
His transition, however, did not go as planned, as he came at the Nou Camp while still recovering from a long injury and in the midst of a divorce from his first wife, Claire Merry.
Tea, the couple’s daughter, was born in May 2005, only four years after they married, and Henry paid roughly £10 million in divorce settlement.
‘It took me a year to get well when I left Arsenal for Barcelona,’ Henry told French newspaper L’Equipe.
‘I arrived injured, I’m going through a divorce, I have to learn a new system, you mix it all up, keep playing the mind.’
Henry struggled to make an impression at Barcelona, as he was surrounded by superstars such as Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Samuel Eto’o. He did, however, win two LaLiga championships, one Copa del Rey, and the 2009 Champions League.
However, the forward revealed that it was ‘taboo’ for him to speak freely about his mental health struggles at the time.
‘In my time it was much more difficult, totally taboo. Even in the group,’ he added.
‘You came to the locker room: ‘Are you OK? Yes, even if things weren’t going well. Did you sleep well? Yes, even if it wasn’t. Are you in pain? No, even if you were in pain.’
In 2010, the 44-year-old relocated to America, where he spent four seasons with the New York Red Bulls. In 2012, he was loaned back to the Emirates, where he scored 12 minutes into his second appearance, before retiring as a player in 2014.
Henry is presently the Belgium assistant coach, reporting to Roberto Martinez, and also works as a pundit.
