"Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression" - Arsenal icon Thierry Henry on mental health struggles
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has opened up on the mental struggles he experienced during his time as a footballer. The former Gunners striker revealed that he battled depression throughout his career and that things got even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thierry Henry enjoyed a very successful career during his playing days, winning the Champions League, the Premier League and even the World Cup. With a total of 360 career goals and 226 assists, the Frenchman etched his name among the greatest forwards in the history of the sport.
However, beneath the surface was a man dealing with serious mental struggles. Speaking on the Diary of a CEO Podcast, Thierry Henry opened up on battling depression during his playing days and how he adapted.
“Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression," he said. "Did I know it? No. Did I do something about it? No. But I adapted to a certain way. That doesn’t mean I’m walking straight but I’m walking."
"You’ve got to put one foot [forward] and another one and walk. That’s what I’ve been told since I was young. I never stopped walking, then maybe I would have realized. [But during] Covid I stopped walking. I couldn’t. Then you start to realize,” he added.
The COVID-19 pandemic period was a tough period for people across the globe. But for Henry, it was more serious. Spending time in isolation made the Arsenal icon face the realities he's evaded at the earlier phases of his life and he couldn't hold his tears.
"I was in isolation in Montreal, and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough," the Arsenal icon continued.
"[I was] crying almost every day for no reason. Tears were coming alone. Why I don’t know, but maybe they were there for a very long time. “Technically, it wasn’t me, it was the young me [crying for] everything he didn’t get: approval.”
Thierry Henry is currently the manager of the France U-21 team. He was appointed on August 21, 2023, and is expected to be in charge of the team until July 31, 2025, according to Transfermarkt.
Thierry Henry explains why Premier League will be difficult to win this season as Arsenal chase title
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Thierry Henry commented on the race for the Premier League title this season. According to him, it'd be difficult to claim the English crown this term as a result of the rising competition from rival teams. He said:
“In my time, it was two teams [Arsenal and Manchester United] that could have won it and then Chelsea came along. Now when you look at it, Liverpool are in it, [Aston] Villa are in it although no one expected them to be."
Arsenal are one of the clubs in the race for the title this season. The Gunners topped the table heading into Christmas but a run of unfavorable results have seen them fall off. They're currently fourth in the table with 40 points from 20 games, five points behind leaders Liverpool.
Up next, Mikel Arteta's men will lock horns with Crystal Palace in the English top flight next week on January 20.