Olympic silver medal has revived Henry’s managerial career Premium

Thierry Henry's journey from legendary player to Olympic silver medal-winning manager showcases the unpredictable beauty of football.

Only a few footballers have managed to hang up their boots after a stellar career and later return to command the game from the sidelines and manage a team to glory.

While Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti are rare cases of individuals being extraordinary players and even better managers, many who have tried their hand at both roles have failed in one or the other.

Managing legends Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho had average careers on the pitch, while legends of the game like Diego Maradona and Steven Gerrard failed miserably to replicate their greatness in management.

Thierry Henry, the iconic French striker who was the leading goal-scorer for his national team until recently and remains the top scorer for English club Arsenal where he spent most of his prime, belonged to the second category until he managed the French side to a ‘magical’ silver medal in the now-concluded Paris Olympics.

Henry’s playing career was one that is beyond the dreams of many. With several domestic leagues, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA European Championship, and a FIFA World Cup lining up in his trophy cabinet along with countless individual honours, including two podium finishes in the Ballon d’Or race, his career is one for the history books. And when a player of such stature wears the managerial suit, it generates great expectations.

Henry began his managerial career in 2015 with a temporary stint with Arsenal’s youth squad, after retiring from the game in 2014. With his aim set on global glory, the same he won as a twenty-year-old, he took up the role of second assistant manager under Roberto Martínez, who had created a generational team in Belgium. The golden generation of Belgians finished third in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the best in the country’s history.

“Henry is the best thing that has happened to me because since I came to England aged 18 I have had the best mentors. Thierry, for me, is the best. Every day, whether it is positive or negative, I take it in my stride because I know what is expected from the top level,” Belgian star striker Romelu Lukaku said about working with Henry.