Former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has spoken of his mental health battles, saying he “must have been in depression” throughout his career.
The 46-year-old ended his glittering 20-year club career in 2014, which also included stints at Monaco, Juventus, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls.
A World Cup winner with the Les Bleus, Henry has also managed Arsenal’s youth teams, served as assistant coach of Belgium, and was the head coach of Monaco and Montreal Impact.
When speaking to Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Henry lifted the lid on his secret battle with depression.
Thierry Henry (EXCLUSIVE): "I Cried Every Single Day", Dealing With Depression, My Childhood Trauma & Fighting For My Dad's Love!I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the Gods of the game – Thierry Henry.
During our conversation, we discussed things that he’s never… pic.twitter.com/COSMAEvcvi
— Steven Bartlett (@StevenBartlett) January 8, 2024
“Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression,” Henry told The Diary Of A CEO podcast.
“Did I know it? No. Did I do something about it? No. But I adapted to a certain way.”
Henry said it had been a difficult time for him during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was managing Major League Soccer side Montreal.
“Covid happened and I asked ‘why are you running, what are you doing?’ I was isolated and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough. I don’t even need to explain that one.
“Something like that had to happen to me to understand vulnerability, empathy, crying. Understand that emotions are emotions. Anger is normal but don’t become angry. Jealousy is normal but don’t become jealous.
“I was in isolation in Montreal, and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough,” he added.
“Tears were coming alone. Why I don’t know, but maybe they were there for a very long time. I don’t know whether that needed to come out. It was weird, but in a good way. There was stuff I couldn’t control and I didn’t try to,” stated an emotional Henry.
Henry’s illustrious career saw him score 228 goals for Arsenal during his two spells, winning two Premier League titles before moving to Camp Nou, where he won a pair of LaLiga crowns and the Champions League.
And Henry now manages France’s Under-21s after stints with Monaco, Montreal Impact and Belgium.
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