Coordinates: 51°33′07″N 0°05′49″W / 51.552°N 0.097°W / 51.552; -0.097

Highbury
Highbury House circa 1800
Highbury  Highbury shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ319854
London borough	Islington
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N5
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Islington North
London Assembly	North East
List of places: UK • England • London

Highbury is a district in the London Borough of Islington.

History[link]

Early Highbury[link]

The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now the east side of Hornsey Road near the junction with Seven Sisters Road. After the manor decayed, a new manor house was built in 1271 (see below) to the south-east; to differentiate it from the original manor and because it was on a hill, it was called Highbury, from which the area takes its name.

The site for Highbury Manor was possibly used by a Roman garrison as a summer camp. During the construction of a new Highbury House in 1781, tiles were found that could have been Roman or Norman; unfortunately these have been lost.

Highbury Manor[link]

Ownership of Highbury eventually passed to Alicia de Barrow, who in 1271 gave it to the Priory of St John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitallers in England. The wealthy Lord Prior built Highbury manor as a substantial stone country lodging with a grange and barn.

In 1381, during the Peasants' Revolt, Jack Straw led a mob of 20,000 rioters who "so offended by the wealth and haughtiness" of the Knights Hospitallers destroyed the manor house. The Lord Prior at the time, Robert Hales, who had taken refuge in the Tower of London, was captured and beheaded on Tower Hill. Jack Straw and some of his followers used the site as a temporary headquarters; consequently the derelict manor became known for the next 500 years as Jack Straw’s Castle. This should not be confused with the better known Jack Straw’s Castle, formerly a pub and now residential flats at Whitestone Ponds, Hampstead, which was named after the semi-legendary leader of the revolt.

Highbury House[link]

Highbury Clock is located just north of Highbury Fields, near the junction of Highbury Barn and Highbury Hill. It was presented in 1897 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria.

The Manor of Highbury remained the possession of the Knights of St John until it was confiscated by Henry VIII in 1540. The land then stayed as crown property until Parliament began selling it in the 17th century.

John Dawes, a wealthy stockbroker, acquired the site of Jack Straw’s Castle together with 247 acres (1.00 km²) of surrounding land. In 1781 he built Highbury House at a cost of £10,000 on the spot where Highbury Manor had stood. Over the next 30 years the house was extended by new owners, firstly Alexander Aubert and then John Bentley, to include a large observatory and lavish gardens.

The grounds around Highbury House started to be sold off in 1794. By 1894 Highbury House and its remaining grounds became a school. Finally in 1938 Highbury House was demolished and is now the site of Eton House flats (on Leigh Road), built by the Old Etonian Housing Association in 1939.

Highbury Barn[link]

Highbury Barn, 1819.

After the Manor house had been destroyed in 1381, the grange and barn remained on the east side of the track that ran south to Hopping Lane, now St Paul’s Road, roughly on the line of Highbury Park / Highbury Grove (the A1201). In 1740 a small ale and cake house was opened in the Barn, Highbury.

In 1770 William Willoughby took over Highbury Barn and greatly increased its popularity. He expanded its size and facilities, taking over land and buildings from the farm next door, reaching beyond what is now Kelvin Road and created a bowling green, trap-ball grounds and gardens. It could cater for company dinners of 2,000 people, concerts and dancing and became one of the most popular venues in London.

In 1854 events at the annual balls in the grounds of the Barn included the aeronaut Charles Green's balloon ascent. By 1865 there was a huge dancing platform, a rebuilt theatre, high-wire acts, pantomime, music hall and the original Siamese twins. The Barn became the victim of its own success. After a riot led by students from Bart’s Hospital in 1869, locals complained about the Barn’s increasingly riotous and bawdy clientele. This led to a court case and in 1871 authorities revoked the Barn’s dancing licence.

Residential growth[link]

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (December 2007)

By 1794 Highbury consisted of Highbury House and Highbury Hill House, Highbury Barn and the gated terraces of Highbury Terrace and Highbury Place, which had been built on land leased by John Dawes. Highbury may have stayed this way, as the plan was to create a 250 acres (1.0 km²) park – Albert Park – between St Paul's Road/Balls Pond Road and the Seven Sisters Road. Instead a 27.5 acre (111,000 m²) site, which is now Highbury Fields was saved in 1869 and the 115 acre (465,000 m²) Finsbury Park were created. The rest of the area was developed.

The majority of the development of the area occurred in two phases; until the 1870s many large Italianate villas were built, mostly in the southern part of Highbury. After this time, development went down market with close packed mostly terraced houses being built, mainly in the north of Highbury. Available land continued to be in-filled with more housing until 1918, but little else changed until after World War II.

Highbury was bombed during the Blitz and again by V-1 flying bombs. For example, on June 27, 1944, a V-1 destroyed Highbury Corner, killing 26 people and injuring 150. Highbury Corner had an impressive station and hotel; that was damaged in this attack but its main building remained in use until demolished in the 1960s during the building of the Victoria line. The original westbound platform buildings remain on the opposite side of Holloway Road, as does a small part of the original entrance to the left of the present station entrance. A red plaque mounted on a building wall overlooking the roundabout, commemorates this event.

After the Second World War large-scale rebuilding in parts of Highbury replaced bombed buildings and provided new municipal housing. Some villas that had not been modernised were demolished to make way for yet more municipal housing; some buildings had to be listed to protect them. Following the property boom in the early 1980s, there has been some gentrification in the area^[1] and the council has begun selling some of the grand villas to private developers who have the finances to restore them, e.g. in 2004 Islington council sold four buildings on Highbury New Park to developers for £1 million each.

Arsenal Stadium[link]

In 1913 Woolwich Arsenal F.C. moved north to Highbury, dropping Woolwich from its name. Their chairman Sir Henry Norris took a 20 year lease on part of the grounds of St John’s Hall for £20,000. The new Arsenal Stadium (also called Highbury) was built there. St John’s Hall, originally called Highbury College (of Divinity), was built in 1825 on what is now Aubert Park and was a grand ionic-style building, reminiscent of the British Museum. St John’s Hall burnt down in 1946 and was replaced by a block of flats.

The club prospered and by 1925 had purchased the freehold. Arsenal's subsequent success made Highbury well known, albeit initially with depressing effect on nearby housing. In 2006 the club moved to Ashburton Grove on the west side of Drayton Park in Highbury. The old stadium was converted into a luxury housing complex, with the two listed main stands being converted into apartments, ensuring their original exteriors remained almost entirely preserved. The unlisted North Bank and Clock End stands have been demolished to make way for entirely new apartment blocks. The pitch has been converted into a garden, with private gym and swimming pool located underneath it. Today, property in the area around the old Highbury stadium is highly sought after, and prices for apartments within the stadium starting at £300k.

Highbury in the arts[link]

For 40 years from 1965, Highbury New Park was home to Wessex Studios. Created by Beatles producer Sir George Martin (who grew up on Drayton Park in Highbury), the studios saw the recording of some of the best-known albums created by bands including Queen, Genesis, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols and the Clash. The building is now a block of residential apartments called "The Recording Studio" and located at 106, Highbury New Park. (Refs: George Martin speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs; The Independent, Nov 3 2004; the "Queen - Days of our Lives" documentary screened by BBC4 in April 2012.)

Highbury was also home to a movie/TV/recording studio further along the same street, at 65A Highbury New Park; these studios had a training school next door in a disused church hall. Built initially as a as a music conservatoire in 1890, the site became a recording studio in 1926 for the Piccadilly label. In 1933, they became the Highbury (film) Studios and in 1945 they were acquired by the Rank Organisation. Due to economic difficulties, Rank closed the studios down and they were demolished in 1960. Athenaeum Court, a block of flats, now occupies the site.

The following books and films feature parts of Highbury:

• The book A London Family 1870-1900 by Molly Hughes, ISBN 0-19-282896-7. In particular it mentions Highbury New Park.
• The film Killing Her Softly was partially filmed on Highbury New Park.
• The film Fever Pitch was filmed around the Arsenal stadium and along Highbury Hill.
• The film Four Weddings and a Funeral begins with Hugh Grant trying to hail a taxi at Highbury Corner and ends in front of the houses that run along the edge of Highbury Fields.
• The film The Arsenal Stadium Mystery was filmed in and around the Arsenal stadium.
• The poem Summoned by Bells by John Betjeman. This verse autobiography mentions Highbury several times, including St Saviours Church on Aberdeen Park, which he used to attend. St Saviours closed in 1980 and is now an art studio.
• Highbury is where the fictional comedy character Mr Bean lives.
• Writer Alan Moore recorded a 'beat seance' in and about Highbury, titled 'The Highbury Working'.
• In the early 70's a drama was filmed by the BBC called "The House on Highbury Hill".
• Highbury is mentioned in Vanity Fair, the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray; in chapter 4, the Sedleys are said to be going "to dine with Alderman Balls, at Highbury Barn."
• The novel Emma by Jane Austen is set in a village called Highbury, though located in Surrey.
• Highbury is mentioned in The Fire Sermon, part III of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land: "Highbury bore me. Richmond and Kew / Undid me."

Demographics[link]

According to the 2001 census Highbury has a population of 21,959. It is 75% White, 11% Black and 6% Asian. 40% of Highbury's residences are owner-occupied. The area is considered as multi-ethnic part-gentrified.

Geography[link]

Highbury is situated 4.4 miles north of Charing Cross. Its area is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km²).

Rail and tube stations[link]

Nearest rail and tube stations:

• Arsenal tube station
• Canonbury railway station
• Drayton Park railway station
• Finsbury Park station
• Holloway Road tube station
• Highbury & Islington station

Nearby places[link]

Nearby places include:

• Finsbury Park, north of Highbury
• Holloway, west of Highbury
• Islington and Canonbury, south of Highbury
• Newington Green, east of Highbury
• Stoke Newington, north east of Highbury
• Barnsbury

Famous residents[link]

• George Martin, Producer and arranger of The Beatles' music.
• Hogan Ephraim, Professional footballer, playing for Queens Park Rangers
• Clive Anderson, television presenter and comedy writer.
• Matthew Bradbury, comedian.
• Peter Oborne, political columnist and television presenter.
• Neal Ascherson, historian, journalist and author.
• Chris Lowe, a member of Pet Shop Boys lived on Highbury Grange.
• David Starkey, historian and television presenter.
• Mary Lilian Baels, who married King Leopold III of Belgium.
• Anna Popplewell, actress, famous most notable for The Chronicles of Narnia film series.
• Skandar Keynes, actor, The Chronicles of Narnia film series.
• Jesse Birdsall, actor.
• Gwyneth Strong, actress.
• Charles Cruft, who started Crufts dog show, lived on Highbury Grove.
• Joseph Chamberlain, politician; his boyhood home from 1845 to 1854 was no. 25 Highbury Place.
• Henry Lawson, Australian poet and author, lived in Paradise Lane off St James Rd and Holloway Rd, in 1901.
• Philip Fysh, Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania.
• Nick Hornby, writer.
• Walter Sickert, painter; his studio from 1927 to 1934 was at no. 1 Highbury Place.
• Nick Robinson, BBC Political Editor
• Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
• Chas Smash, a member of Madness.
• Alan Davies, comedian
• Jimmy Carr, comedian.
• Dom Howard, drummer, Muse.
• Ainsley Harriott, famous chef and host.
• Elaine Lordan, actress.
• Andy Burrows, drummer, Razorlight.
• Ed O'Brien, guitarist, Radiohead.
• Nan Youngman, artist and educationalist.
• Leona Lewis, singer, grew up here.
• Rowan Atkinson, actor
• Ian Jack, journalist & writer
• Paul Brindley, bassist in The Sundays.
• Owen Thomas, BBC presenter
• Nigel Slater, food writer, journalist and broadcaster.

References[link]

Other references[link]

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009)

• 2001 census for London Borough of Islington
• Mary COSH (1993), The Squares of Islington, Part II, p97-116, ISBN 0-9507532-6-2
• Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys http://www.petshopboys.net/html/literallys/literally_31/page5.htm
• Tanis HINCHCLIFFE (1981), Highbury New Park: A Nineteenth-Century Middle-Class Suburb, in: The London Journal Vol 7, p29-44.
• John NELSON (1811), The History of Islington, p123-216, reprinted 1980, ISBN 0-85667-104-5
• John RICHARDSON (1988), Islington Past, p49-52, ISBN 0-948667-01-X

External links[link]

• 'A History of Highbury' tribute at Arsenal-land
• London Landscape TV episode (6 mins) about Highbury and Arsenal

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Thierry Henry

Henry with the New York Red Bulls
Personal information
Full name	Thierry Daniel Henry[1]
Date of birth	(1977-08-17) 17 August 1977 (age 34)[1]
Place of birth	Les Ulis, Essonne, France
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	New York Red Bulls
Number	14
Youth career
1983–1989	CO Les Ulis
1989–1990	US Palaiseau
1990–1992	Viry-Châtillon
1992	Clairefontaine
1992–1994	Monaco
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1999	Monaco	105	(20)
1999	Juventus	16	(3)
1999–2007	Arsenal	254	(174)
2007–2010	Barcelona	80	(35)
2010–	New York Red Bulls	46	(25)
2012	→ Arsenal (loan)	4	(1)
National team‡
1997	France U20	5	(3)
1997–2010	France	123	(51)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:50, 30 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:56, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.

Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne (a suburb of Paris) where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and signed instantly, making his professional debut in 1994. Good form led to an international call-up in 1998, after which he signed for the Serie A defending champions Juventus. He had a disappointing season playing on the wing, before joining Arsenal for £11 million in 1999.

It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer. Despite initially struggling in the Premier League, he emerged as Arsenal's top goal-scorer for almost every season of his tenure there. Under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger, Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. The Frenchman won two league titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners; he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year twice, was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the FWA Footballer of the Year three times. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.

In June 2007, after eight years with Arsenal, he transferred to Barcelona for a fee of €24 million. His first honours with the Catalan club came in 2009 when they won the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble. He went on to achieve an unprecedented sextuple by also winning the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In total, Henry has been named in the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2010, he joined the New York Red Bulls of the Major League Soccer, and won the Eastern Conference title with them in 2010. He returned to Arsenal on loan for two months in 2012.

Henry enjoyed similar success with the French national team, having won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. In October 2007, he surpassed Michel Platini's record to become France's top goal-scorer of all time. Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Off the pitch, Henry is an active spokesperson against racism in football, partially due to his own experiences. He married English model Nicole Merry in 2003 and had a daughter with her, but they divorced in 2007. Henry was also one of the top commercially marketed footballers; he was ranked ninth in the world in 2006.

Early years[link]

Henry is of Antillean heritage:^[2] his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe (La Désirade island), and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. He was born and raised in Les Ulis suburb of Paris which, despite sometimes being seen as a tough neighbourhood, provided good footballing facilities.^[3][4] As a seven-year-old, Henry showed great potential, prompting Claude Chezelle to recruit him to the local club CO Les Ulis. His father pressured him to attend training, although the youngster was not particularly drawn to football.^[1] He joined US Palaiseau in 1989, but after a year his father fell out with the club, so Henry moved to ES Viry-Châtillon and played there for two years.^[2] US Palaiseau coach Jean-Marie Panza, Henry's future mentor, followed him there.^[3]

Club career[link]

Monaco (1992–1999) and Juventus (1999)[link]

In 1990, Monaco sent scout Arnold Catalano to watch Henry, then at the age of 13 in a match.^[5] Henry scored all six goals as his side won 6–0. Catalano asked him to join Monaco without even attending a trial first. Catalano requested that Henry complete a course at the elite Clairefontaine academy, and despite the director's reluctance to admit Henry due to his poor school results, he was allowed to complete the course and joined Arsène Wenger's Monaco as a youth player.^[1] Subsequently, Henry signed professional forms with Monaco, and made his professional debut on 31 August 1994, in a 2–0 loss against Nice.^[5] Although Wenger suspected that Henry should be deployed as a striker, he put Henry on the left wing because he believed that his pace, natural ball control and skill would be more effective against full-backs than centre-backs.^[2]

After a tentative start to his Monaco career, Henry was named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996, and in the 1996–97 season, his solid performances helped the club win the Ligue 1 title.^[1][6] During the 1997–98 season, he was instrumental in leading his club to the UEFA Champions League semi-final, setting a French record by scoring seven goals in the competition.^[2][7] By his third season, he had received his first cap for the national team, and was part of the winning team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.^[2] He continued to impress at his tenure with Monaco, and in his five seasons with the French club, the young winger scored 20 league goals in 105 appearances.^[6]

Henry left Monaco in January 1999, one year before his friend and teammate David Trezeguet, and moved to Italian Serie A club Juventus for £10.5 million.^[1] He played on the wing,^[8] but he was ineffective against the Serie A defensive discipline in a position uncharacteristic for him, and scored just three goals in 16 appearances.^[9]

Arsenal (1999–2007)[link]

Henry was made captain following the departure of fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira to Juventus in 2005

Unsettled in Italy, Henry transferred from Juventus on 3 August 1999 to Arsenal for an estimated fee of £11 million, reuniting with his former manager Arsène Wenger.^[10][11] It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer,^[12] and although his transfer was not without controversy, Wenger was convinced he was worth the transfer fee.^[2] Brought in as a replacement for fellow French forward Nicolas Anelka, Henry was immediately moulded into a striker by Wenger, a move that would pay rich dividends in years to come. However, doubts were raised about his ability to adapt to the quick and physical English game when he failed to score in his first eight games.^[3] After several difficult months in England, Henry even conceded that he had to "be re-taught everything about the art of striking."^[3] These doubts were dispelled when he ended his first season at Arsenal with an impressive goal tally of 26.^[13] Arsenal finished second in the league behind Manchester United, and lost in the UEFA Cup Final against Turkish side Galatasaray.^[2]

Coming off the back of a victorious UEFA Euro 2000 campaign with the national team, Henry was ready to make an impact in the 2000–01 season. Despite recording fewer goals and assists than his first season, Henry's second season with Arsenal proved to be a breakthrough, as he became the club's top goalscorer.^[14] Armed with one of the league's best attacks, Arsenal closed in quickly on perennial rivals Manchester United for the league title. Henry remained frustrated, however, by the fact that he had yet to help the club win honours, and frequently expressed his desire to establish Arsenal as a powerhouse.^[2]

Success finally arrived during the 2001–02 season. Arsenal finished seven points above Liverpool to win the league title, and defeated Chelsea 2–0 in the FA Cup Final.^[2] Henry became the league's top goal-scorer and netted 32 goals in all competitions as he led Arsenal to a double and his first silverware with the club.^[1][14] There was much expectation that Henry would replicate his club form for France during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but the defending champions suffered a shock exit at the group stage.^[2]

2002–03 proved to be another productive season for Henry, as he scored 32 goals in all competitions while contributing 23 assists—remarkable returns for a striker.^[14] In doing so, he led Arsenal to another FA Cup triumph (where he was man-of-the-match in the Final),^[15] although Arsenal failed to retain their Premier League crown.^[16] Throughout the season, he competed with Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy for the league scoring title, but the latter edged Henry to the title by a goal.^[2] Nonetheless, Henry was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.^[17][18] His rising status as one of the world's best footballers was affirmed when he emerged runner-up for the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year award.^[12]

Henry in a game against Charlton Athletic in 2006

Entering the 2003–04 season, Arsenal were determined to reclaim the Premier League crown. Henry was again instrumental in Arsenal's exceptionally successful campaign; together with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pirès, Henry ensured that the Gunners became the first team in more than a century to go through the entire domestic league season unbeaten, claiming the league title in the process.^[19] Apart from being named for the second year running as the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year,^[17][18] Henry emerged once again as the runner-up for 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award.^[12] With 39 goals scored in all competitions, the Frenchman led the league in goals scored and won the European Golden Boot.^[1][20] However, as was the case in 2002, Henry was unable to lead the national side to honours during UEFA Euro 2004.^[2]

This dip in success was compounded when Arsenal failed again to secure back-to-back league titles when they lost out to Chelsea in the 2004–05 season, although Arsenal did win the FA Cup (the Final of which Henry missed through injury).^[6] Henry maintained his reputation as one of Europe's most feared strikers as he led the league in scoring,^[1] and with 31 goals in all competitions,^[21] he was the co-recipient (with Diego Forlán) of the European Golden Boot, and is currently the only player to have officially won the award twice in a row (Ally McCoist also had two Golden Boots in a row, but both were deemed unofficial).^[20] The unexpected departure of compatriot Vieira in mid-2005 led to Henry being awarded club captaincy, a role which many felt was not naturally suited for him; the captaincy is more commonly given to defenders or midfielders, who are better-placed on the pitch to read the game.^[1] Along with being chief goal-scorer, he was responsible for leading a very young team which had yet to gel fully.^[22]

After the retirement of Dennis Bergkamp, Henry regularly partnered Robin van Persie up front in the Arsenal attack

The 2005–06 season proved to be one of remarkable personal achievements for Henry. On 17 October 2005, Henry became the club's top goal-scorer of all time;^[23] two goals against Sparta Prague in the Champions League meant he broke Ian Wright's record of 185 goals.^[24] On 1 February 2006, he scored a goal against West Ham United, bringing his league goal tally up to 151, breaking Arsenal legend Cliff Bastin's league goals record.^[25] Henry scored his 100th league goal at Highbury, a feat unparalleled in the history of the club, and a unique achievement in the Premier League.^[26] He completed the season as the league's top goal-scorer,^[1] and for the third time in his career, he was voted the FWA Footballer of the Year.^[6]

Nevertheless, Arsenal failed to win the league title again, but hopes of a trophy were revived when Arsenal reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. The Gunners eventually lost 2–1 to Barcelona, and Arsenal's inability to win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons combined with the relative inexperience of the Arsenal squad caused much speculation that Henry would leave for another club. However, he declared his love for the club and accepted a four-year contract, and said he would stay at Arsenal for life.^[18] Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein later claimed the club had turned down two bids of £50 million from Spanish clubs for Henry before the signing of the new contract.^[27] Had the transfer materialized, it would have surpassed the then world record £47 million paid for Zinédine Zidane.^[27]

Henry's 2006–07 season was marred by injuries.^[28] Although he scored 10 goals in 17 domestic appearances for Arsenal, Henry's season was cut short in February. Having missed games due to hamstring, foot, and back problems, he was deemed fit enough to come on as a late substitute against PSV in a Champions League match,^[29] but began limping shortly after coming on. Scans the next day revealed that he would need at least three months to heal from new groin and stomach injuries, missing the rest of the 2006–07 season.^[30] Wenger attributed Henry's injuries to a protracted 2005–06 campaign, and reiterated that Henry was keen on staying with the Gunners to rebuild for the 2007–08 season.^[28]

Barcelona (2007–2010)[link]

Henry in Barcelona colours

On 25 June 2007, in an unexpected turn of events, Henry was transferred to Barcelona for €24 million. He signed a four-year deal for a reported €6.8 (£4.6) million per season.^[31] It was revealed that the contract included a release clause of €125 (£84.9) million.^[32] Henry cited the departure of Dein and continued uncertainty over Wenger's future as reasons for leaving,^[33][34] and maintained that "I always said that if I ever left Arsenal it would be to play for Barcelona."^[35] Despite their captain's departure, Arsenal got off to an impressive start for the 2007–08 campaign, and Henry admitted that his presence in the team might have been more of a hindrance than a help. He stated: "Because of my seniority, the fact that I was captain and my habit of screaming for the ball, they would sometimes give it to me even when I was not in the best position. So in that sense it was good for the team that I moved on."^[36] Henry left Arsenal as the club's leading all-time league goal-scorer with 174 goals and leading all-time goal-scorer in Europe with 42 goals;^[1] in July 2008, Arsenal fans voted him as Arsenal's greatest player ever in Arsenal.com's Gunners' Greatest 50 Players poll.^[37]

Henry takes on Rio Ferdinand inside the Manchester United penalty area during the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final.

At Barcelona, Henry was given the number 14 jersey, the same as he had worn at Arsenal. He scored his first goal for his new club on 19 September 2007 in a 3–0 Champions League group stage win over Lyon,^[38] and he recorded his first hat-trick for Barça in a league match against Levante ten days later.^[39] But with Henry mostly deployed on the wing throughout the season, he was unable to reproduce the goal-scoring form he achieved with Arsenal. He expressed dissatisfaction with the move to Barcelona in the initial year, amidst widespread speculation of a return to the Premier League. In an interview with Garth Crooks on BBC Football Focus, Henry described missing life "back home" and even "the English press".^[40] However, Henry concluded his debut season as the club's top scorer with 19 goals in addition to nine league assists, second behind Lionel Messi's 10.

Henry went on to surpass this tally in a more integrated 2008–09 campaign, winning the first trophy of his Barcelona career on 13 May 2009 when Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona won the league and Champions League soon after, completing a treble for the Frenchman, who had combined with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o to score 100 goals between them that season. The trio was also the most prolific trio in Spanish league history, scoring 72 goals and surpassing the 66 goals of Real Madrid's Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Luis del Sol of the 1960–61 season. Later in 2009, Henry helped Barcelona win an unprecedented sextuple, consisting of the aforementioned treble, the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.^[41]

The following season, the emergence of Pedro Rodríguez meant that Henry only started 15 league games.^[14] Before the La Liga season ended, and with a year still left on his contract, club president Joan Laporta stated on 5 May 2010 that Henry "may go away in the summer transfer window if that's what he wants".^[42] After Henry returned from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona confirmed that they had agreed to the sale of Henry to an unnamed club, with the player still to agree terms with the new club.^[43]

New York Red Bulls (2010–present)[link]

Henry facing Phil Jones in the 2011 MLS All-Star Game

In July 2010, Henry signed a multi-year contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls for the 2010 season as its second designated player.^[44] He made his full MLS debut on 31 July in a 2–2 draw against Houston Dynamo, assisting both goals to Juan Pablo Angel. His first MLS goal came on 28 August in a 2–0 victory against San Jose Earthquakes. The Red Bulls eventually topped the MLS Eastern Conference by one point over Columbus Crew^[45] before losing 3–2 on aggregate against San Jose Earthquakes in the quarterfinals of the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs.^[46] The next season, the Red Bulls were 10th overall in the league,^[47] and bowed out in the Conference Semi-finals of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs.^[48]

Henry on loan to Arsenal

After training with Arsenal during the MLS off-season, Henry re-signed for the club on a two-month loan deal on 6 January 2012. This was to provide cover for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, who were unavailable due to their participation in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.^[49] Henry made his second Arsenal debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round and scored the only goal.^[50] In his last league game on loan, he scored the winning goal in stoppage time in a 2–1 win against Sunderland.^[51] On 17 February 2012, Henry returned to Red Bulls to prepare for the 2012 season.

On 31 March 2012, Henry scored his first MLS hat-trick in a 5–2 Red Bulls win over Montreal Impact.^[52]

International career[link]

Henry enjoyed a successful career with the France national team, winning the first of his 123 caps in June 1997, when his good form for Monaco was rewarded with a call-up to the Under-20 French national team, where he played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship alongside future teammates William Gallas and David Trézéguet.^[1] Within four months, France head coach Aimé Jacquet called Henry up to the senior team. The 20-year-old made his senior international debut on 11 October 1997 in a 2–1 win against South Africa.^[53] Jacquet was so impressed with Henry that he took him to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Although Henry was a largely unknown quantity at international level, he ended the tournament as France's top scorer with three goals.^[54] He was scheduled to appear as a substitute in the final, where France beat Brazil 3–0, but Marcel Desailly's sending off forced a defensive change instead. In 1998, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur, France's highest decoration.^[55]

Henry was a member of France's UEFA Euro 2000 squad, again scoring three goals in the tournament, including the equaliser against Portugal in the semi-final, and finishing as the country's top scorer.^[56] France later won the game in extra time following a converted penalty kick by Zinédine Zidane. France went on to defeat Italy in extra-time in the Final, earning Henry his second major international medal.^[57] During the tournament, Henry was voted man-of-the-match in three games, including the final against Italy.^[58]

The 2002 FIFA World Cup featured a stunning early exit for both Henry and France as the defending champions were eliminated in the group stage after failing to score a goal in all three games.^[1] France lost their first match in group play and Henry was red carded for a dangerous sliding challenge in their next match against Uruguay.^[2] In that game, France played to a 0–0 draw, but Henry was forced to miss the final match due to suspension; France lost 2–0 to Denmark.^[2]

Henry returned to form for his country at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. Despite playing without team stalwarts Zidane and Patrick Vieira, France won, in large part owing to Henry's outstanding play, for which he was named Man of the Match by FIFA's Technical Study Group in three of France's five matches.^[1] In the final, he scored the golden goal in extra time to lift the title for the host country after a 1–0 victory over Cameroon.^[1] Henry was awarded both the adidas Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the competition and the adidas Golden Shoe as the tournament's top goal-scorer with four goals.^[1]

In UEFA Euro 2004, Henry played in all of France's matches and scored two goals.^[6] France beat England in the group stages but lost to the eventual winners Greece 1–0 in the quarter-finals.^[59] During the 2006 FIFA World Cup Henry remained as one of the automatic starters in the squad. He played as a lone striker, but despite an indifferent start to the tournament, became one of the top players of the World Cup. He scored three goals, including the winning goal from Zidane's free kick against defending champions Brazil.^[1] However, France subsequently lost to Italy on penalties (5–3) in the final. Henry did not take part in the penalty shoot-out, having been substituted in extra time after his legs had cramped.^[60] Henry was one of 10 nominees for the Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament, an award which was ultimately presented to his teammate, Zidane^[61] and was named a starting striker on the 2006 FIFPro World XI team.^[62]

On 13 October 2007, Henry scored his 41st goal against the Faroe Islands, joining Michel Platini as the country's top goal-scorer of all time.^[36] Four days later at the Stade de la Beaujoire, he scored a late double against Lithuania, thereby setting a new record as France's top goal-scorer.^[63] On 3 June 2008, Henry made his 100th appearance for national team in match against Colombia, becoming the sixth French player ever to reach that milestone.^[64]

Henry missed the opening game of France's short-lived UEFA Euro 2008 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stages after being grouped together with Italy, the Netherlands and Romania.^[65] He scored France's only goal in the competition in a 4–1 loss to the Netherlands.^[66]

The French team struggled during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and finished second in their group behind Serbia. During the play-offs against the Republic of Ireland, Henry was involved in a controversy in the second leg of the game at the Stade de France on 18 November 2009. With the aggregate score tied at 1–1 and the game in extra time, he used his hand twice to control the ball before delivering a cross to William Gallas who scored the winner.^[67] This sparked a barrage of criticism against the Frenchman, while national team coach Raymond Domenech and Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger defended him.^[68][69] The Football Association of Ireland lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, seeking a replay of the game, which FIFA declined.^[70] Henry said that he contemplated retiring from international football after the reactions to the incident,^[71] but maintained that he was not a "cheat"; hours after FIFA had ruled out a replay, he stated that "the fairest solution would be to replay the game".^[72] FIFA President Sepp Blatter described the incident as "blatant unfair play" and announced an inquiry into how such incidents could be avoided in future, and added that the incident would be investigated by the Disciplinary Committee.^[73] Blatter also said Henry told him that his family had been threatened in the aftermath of the incident.^[74] In January 2010, FIFA announced that there was no legal basis to sanction Henry.^[75]

Henry did not feature in the starting line-up for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. France drew in their first game against Uruguay, and lost 2–0 in their second against Mexico. The team was thrown into disarray when Nicolas Anelka was expelled from the team, and captain Patrice Evra led a team protest by refusing to train.^[76] In the final group game against host-nation South Africa in which Henry came on as a second-half substitute, France lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the tournament. He then announced his retirement from international football, having won 123 caps and scored 51 goals for Les Bleus.^[77]

Style of play[link]

Henry was the first-choice free kick taker for Arsenal

Although Henry played up front as a striker during his youth,^[3] he spent his time at Monaco and Juventus playing on the wing. When Henry joined Arsenal in 1999, Wenger immediately changed this, switching Henry to his childhood position, often pairing him with Dutch veteran Dennis Bergkamp.^[8] During the 2004–05 season, Wenger switched Arsenal's formation to 4–5–1.^[78] This change forced Henry to adapt again to fit into the Arsenal team, and he played many games as a lone striker.^[8] Still, Henry remained Arsenal's main offensive threat, on many occasions conjuring spectacular goals. Wenger once said of his fellow Frenchman: "Thierry Henry could take ball in the middle of park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score".^[79]

One of the reasons cited for Henry's impressive play up front is his ability to calmly score from one-on-ones.^[80] This, combined with his exceptional pace, means that he can get in behind defenders regularly enough to score.^[3][81] When up front, Henry is occasionally known to move out wide to the left wing position,^[82][83] something which enables him to contribute heavily in assists: between 2002–03 and 2004–05, the striker managed almost 50 assists in total and this was attributed to his unselfish play and creativity.^[23] Henry would also drift offside to fool the defence then run back onside before the ball is played and beat the offside trap, although he never provided Arsenal a distinct aerial threat.^[84] Given his versatility in being able to operate as both a winger and a striker, the Frenchman is not a prototypical "out-and-out striker", but he has emerged consistently as one of Europe's most prolific strikers.^[2] In set pieces, Henry was the first-choice penalty and free kick taker for Arsenal, having scored regularly from those positions.^[85]

Awards and honours[link]

Club[link]

Monaco

• Ligue 1 (1): 1996–97
• Trophée des champions (1): 1997

Arsenal

• Premier League (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
• FA Cup (3): 2002, 2003, 2005
• FA Community Shield (2): 2002, 2004

Barcelona

• La Liga (2): 2008–09, 2009–10
• Copa del Rey (1): 2008-09
• Supercopa de España (1): 2009
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2008-09
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 2009
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2009

New York Red Bulls

• MLS Eastern Conference (1): 2010

National[link]

France

• FIFA World Cup

Winner: France 1998

Runners-up: Germany 2006

• UEFA European Football Championship

Winner: Belgium & Netherlands 2000

• FIFA Confederations Cup

Winner: France 2003

• King Hassan II International Cup Tournament

Winner: Morocco 2000

Individual[link]

Henry has received many plaudits and awards in his football career. He was runner-up for the 2003 and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year awards;^[12] in those two seasons, he also won back-to-back PFA Players' Player of the Year titles.^[17] Henry is the only player ever to have won the FWA Footballer of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2006),^[18] and the French Player of the Year on a record four occasions. Henry was voted into the Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade in the 10 Seasons Awards poll in 2003,^[86] and in 2004 he was named by football legend Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.^[87]

In terms of goal-scoring awards, Henry was the European Golden Boot winner in 2004 and 2005 (sharing it with Villarreal's Diego Forlán in 2005) and is the first ever player to retain the award.^[20] Henry was also the top goal-scorer in the Premier League for a record four seasons (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006).^[1] In 2006, he became the first player to score more than 20 goals in the league for five consecutive seasons (2002 to 2006).^[88] Henry is currently third in the list of all-time Premier League goal-scorers, behind Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. Given his accomplishments, France's all-time goal-scorer was in his prime regarded by many coaches, footballers and pundits as one of the best footballers in the world.^{[14][89][90][91]} In November 2007, he was ranked 33rd on the Association of Football Statisticians' compendium for "Greatest Ever Footballers".^[92] Arsenal fans honoured their former player in 2008, declaring Henry the greatest Arsenal player.^[37] In two other 2008 surveys, Henry emerged as the favourite Premier League player of all time among 32,000 people surveyed in the Barclays 2008 Global Fan Report.^[93][94] In 2009, Henry was voted the best Premier League player of the 2000s.^[95] On 10 December 2011, Arsenal unveiled a bronze statue of Henry at the Emirates Stadium as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations.^[96]

A summary of Henry's individual awards is as follows:

• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (1): 1996–97
• PFA Players' Player of the Year (2): 2002–03, 2003–04
• PFA Team of the Year (6): 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06
• FWA Footballer of the Year (3): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
• Premier League Golden Boot (4): 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06.
• Golden Boot Landmark Award 10 (1): 2004–05
• Golden Boot Landmark Award 20 (1): 2004–05
• Premier League Player of the Month (4): April 2000, September 2002, January 2004, April 2004
• Goal of the Season (1): 2002–03
• UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
• MLS Best XI (1): 2011
• MLS Player of the Month (1): March 2012
• Onze d'Or (2): 2003, 2006
• European Golden Boot (2): 2003-04, 2004-05
• French Player of the Year (5): 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year (1): 2003
• FIFA FIFPro World XI (1): 2006
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1): Germany 2006
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball (1): France 2003
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe (1): France 2003
• UEFA European Football Championship Team of the Tournament (1): 2000
• FIFA 100 : 2004
• Time 100 Heroes & Pioneers no.16 : 2007
• English Football Hall of Fame : 2008
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2001–02)
  • Overseas Team of the Decade
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards
  • Fantasy Team (Panel choice)
  • Fantasy Team (Public choice)
• Légion d'Honneur : 1998