Thierry Henry will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at this evening’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year gala.
The Frenchman, 48, scored 228 goals in 377 appearances across two spells as a Gunner between 1999 and 2007, and during a brief loan return in 2012. He won the Golden Boot on four occasions in England, helping Arsenal to two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two Community Shields. He was also a two-time European Golden Boot winner.
After moving to Barcelona in 2007, Henry collected a host of domestic honours as part of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side and finally got his hands on the Champions League. He ended his playing career in the United States with the New York Red Bulls.
Henry’s international career began in spectacular fashion. He was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 1998 and played a key role in their European Championship triumph in 2000. He later appeared in another World Cup final in 2006.
While he won back-to-back PFA Player of the Year awards and remains the only player to be named FWA Footballer of the Year three times, it still grates that he was never awarded the Ballon d’Or. The closest he came was in 2003, when he lost out to Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved, a decision that looked baffling even at the time. Ultimately, he paid the price for Arsenal’s failure in Europe.
At his peak, Henry led the line for Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles, ultimately paying the price for that side’s failure to conquer Europe.
Since retiring, Henry has managed boyhood club Monaco and MLS side Montreal Impact. His most high-profile coaching role came at the Olympics in Paris, where he led France to the final before defeat to Spain in extra time. Whether he returns to management remains to be seen, with his media commitments on Sky Sports and CBS Sports keeping him busy. He is also a minority shareholder in Serie A side Como.
Given Arsenal commissioned a statue of him before he had even scored his final goal for the club, Henry is no stranger to acclaim. Among other honours, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
Ahead of the gala, Henry told the BBC: “Football has given me everything and I gave it my all. To be recognised as part of its history with this Lifetime Achievement award and to have made my mark for the fans and my team mates is something I’ll never take for granted.”
Previous winners include Frank Bruno, Seve Ballesteros, Alex Ferguson, George Best, Martina Navratilova, Ian Botham, Pele, Bjorn Borg, Bobby Robson, Bobby Charlton, David Beckham, Steve Redgrave, Sebastian Coe, Chris Hoy, AP McCoy, Michael Phelps, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Billie Jean Jing, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Usain Bolt, Kenny Dalglish, Mark Cavendish.
In related news, Arsenal Women’s Chloe Kelly has been shortlisted for Sports Personality of the Year following her exploits for club and country. After signing on loan from Manchester City in January, she helped Renee Slegers’ side lift the Champions League and played a key role as England retained their status as European champions. She’s since signed permanently at the Emirayes.
Michelle Agyemang, currently sidelined with an ACL injury sustained on loan at Brighton, is also recognised for her contribution to England’s success and has been shortlisted for the Young Sports Personality of the Year award.
