Jan 9, 2024 at 9:18 am
Thierry Henry said he struggled with depression throughout his career. The former striker of Arsenal, FC Barcelona and France links his mental problems to his relationship with his critical father during his youth.
“I lied for a long time, because society was not ready to hear my story,” says 46-year-old Henry in the podcast The Diary Of A CEO. Arsenal’s all-time club top scorer (228 goals) suffered from mental problems throughout his career, without being aware of it.
“I didn’t know and I didn’t do anything about it at the time. I adapted. In life you have to put one foot in front of the other and then walk. You always have to take steps. That’s what I was told as a child. And I I never stopped walking.”
During the corona pandemic, Henry’s realization dawned. The 1998 world champion was then a coach at CF Montréal in Canada and was unable to see his children in person for a long time.
“I was alone in Montreal. It was hard not seeing my children for a year. Suddenly I was crying almost every day. I don’t know exactly why. Maybe the tears had been there for a long time. It was actually my younger self who asked for something I didn’t get: approval.”
Thierry Henry celebrates the 1998 world title with his teammates. Photo: Getty Images
‘My father helped me as an athlete, but not as a person’
Henry, now coach of the French U21s, thinks that his depression had to do with his difficult relationship with his father. Henry senior always posted critical notes about the game of the former top scorer. The 2000 European champion takes a youth match as an example.
“I scored all six goals in a 6-0 win, but afterwards my father told me not to be satisfied. He talked about a missed control and a missed cross. This helped me as an athlete to some extent, but not as a human.”
Henry didn’t really feel seen as a human being until 2021, just before his return trip to Montreal. “I had to say goodbye and everyone cried: from the nanny to my girlfriend and my children. For the first time I really felt seen as a human being and not as a football person.”
“I asked myself what I was doing. I put down my luggage and decided to stop at Montreal. Why return to please people, when I feel the love here? My loved ones see Thierry, not Thierry Henry. I stayed because I felt human for the first time. And that felt good.”
2024-01-09 08:18:20
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