Sport Football
‘I like to lead – and
I believe I can be a
successful coach’
I
t was after a 5-1 victory
over Middlesbrough
which he watched from
the substitutes’ bench
that a 22-year-old Thierry
Henry walked straight out
of Highbury in his Arsenal
tracksuit and caught a
tube and then a
Thameslink train back to St Albans
to his temporary home at the
Sopwell House hotel.
Henry had been at Arsenal for
four months and, stuck behind
Dennis Bergkamp, Nwankwo Kanu
and Davor Suker, the young striker
was yet to make his mark.
Unable to drive and still
struggling with his English, Henry
did not want to ask a team-mate for
a lift back to his hotel, instead
favouring to be alone with his
thoughts on public transport as he
brooded over what he needed to do
to become a success.
The rest is history, as Henry
scored twice in Arsenal’s next
Premier League game against
Derby County and finished the
season with 26 goals in all
competitions before going on to
become the club’s all-time leading
scorer.
Now, 20 years later, Henry finds
himself in a similar position of
waiting to prove himself, after
being sacked just three months
into his first job as a head coach at
Monaco. The biggest difference, ofcourse, is that the Frenchman no
longer has the same control over
his own destiny.
Speaking for the first time since
leaving Monaco seven months ago,
Henry said: “You don’t doubt
yourself, you want to have time to
prove yourself, that you can do it. I
have been in situations in my life
when people thought it was all
great. When I was at Arsenal, it
wasn’t all great for me. I stayed on
the bench for a little while, people
forget.
“They all know the Derby story.
But before that game, I didn’t play.
I didn’t come on against Fiorentina
at Wembley in the Champions
League, I came on in the last 10
minutes against Barcelona in the
Champions League. People
remember, ‘Oh yeah, since that
Derby day.’ But from August to
Derby, in November, there were a
lot of months I got hammered, by
the press and by my own fans. But,
at the end of the day, was I playing
well? No. Did they deserve to have
a go at me? Yes. The bottom line is
I will always take responsibility.
“In football, you have a contract
as a player and you can grab the
ball and prove people wrong. The
Derby game, two goals and then I
play again, again, again and again.
“But as a coach, you have to wait
for another job and that is difficult.
It is frustrating and annoying
because there isn’t a next game toExclusive interview Thierry Henry tells Matt Law how his
bruising experience at Monaco has not dented his ambition
Single-minded:
Thierry Henry
was sacked by
Monaco (left) in
January after
just three months
in charge but is
convinced he
can become a
successful coachThe key figures from his
time in charge of Monaco
Henry’s win
percentage
during his 20
games as head
coach in all
competitions,
including a
penalty shoot-
out success.Leonardo
Jardim’s win
percentage at
Monaco before
and after Henry,
including two
successive
defeats this
season.0.25 0.18
Days Thierry
Henry was in
charge at
Monaco.Red cards shown
to Monaco since
start of last
season.104 10
Injured players at
Monaco during
Henry’s reign.Players Monaco
signed in the
January transfer
window, during
which Henry was
sacked.17 8
REUTERS14 *** Thursday 22 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph
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