To continue the soccer motif of this week’s issue, we kick the spotlight over to French striker Thierry Henry, one of the sport’s best powerhouses of the 2000s. He donned the No. 14 during his stints with Premier League’s Arsenal and La Liga’s F.C. Barcelona. Henry joined Arsenal in the 1999-2000 season as a 21-year old and won his first championship with them just two seasons later, scoring 24 goals through 33 matches. Henry was Arsenal’s key to their 2004 championship victory, scoring an outstanding 30 goals and nine assists.
As the fabled London team’s reign of dominance wound down, Henry moved to F.C. Barcelona in 2007, joining the likes of Samuel Eto’o and a young Lionel Messi. The trio went on to lead the Spanish club offensively and greatly aided in the team’s 2009 and 2010 championships. The Frenchman left Europe altogether in 2010 as he traveled to New York to play in Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York Red Bulls, continuing to score at a high rate before retiring in 2014. He is currently the head coach of MLS’ Montreal Impact.
As the reigning French king of international scoring, a two-time winner of the Premier League Player of the season, a member of FIFA’s 2006 World Cup All-Star Team and a four-time Premier League leader in goals during his time with Arsenal, his impact on the sport is truly unforgettable.
