Former Arsenal, France and Barcelona superstar Thierry Henry has spoken openly about the pain of retirement and admitted the competitor in him died after hanging up his legendary boots.
Arsenal ace Henry struggled to adapt to normal life after ending his football career
Henry is widely hailed as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. He won two Premier League titles with Arsenal, claimed two La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, and lifted the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998. The French icon hung up his boots in 2014, after a five-year stint with Major League Soccer (MLS) team, New York Red Bulls.
Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Henry opened up about his struggles with retirement and admitted that he felt a part of him take over from existing when he ended his career.
The four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner said (via The Mirror):
“Well, I knew what to do. Even if it was painful or whatever, she knew what to do. It’s easy for a while when you have your career. I think you remember as an athlete and I say it and I stand by it… you die when you stop.
“The athlete, the competitor, dies. I will never be able to play in the Prem again, I will not be able to play for France again. “I don’t care what you say, I can’t play football, not at that level, without competing like I used to compete.”
He added:
“That part of me died. People don’t teach you how to die. So now you are going to face all your problems. Because you can put them aside when you play. Because you have other things that will cover that.
“But once everything stops… we’re not used to being at home. We are not used to leading a normal life. Since I was 13 I never had a normal life. “I’m not complaining, I’m just saying that returning to the normal world is a shock to the system.”
Henry is still very involved in football
Henry hasn’t played competitively in a decade, but remains a relevant and important member of the soccer community. He regularly presents his views on CBS Sports’ Golazo, emerging as one of the most reasonable and entertaining experts on the table. He also serves as head coach of France Under-21, preparing for the next chapter of his historic career.
Henry is tactically sound, commands the respect of his players and learns quickly. If he continues his good work with the under-21 team, it will not be surprising if he succeeds Didier Deschamps as first-team coach in the coming years.
