The Arsenal legend won the only trophy missing in his medal cabinet at the tail end of the 2009 season, and it could have marked the end of his European sojourn
Former France international striker Thierry Henry has revealed that he could have quit Barcelona immediately after helping the Catalans defeat Manchester United in the final of the 2009 UEFA Champions League.
The winner’s medal of Europe’s premier competition was the only one missing in Henry’s collection after an impressive playing career.
The former Monaco forward won the World Cup with France in 1998 before lifting the European Cup with Les Bleus two years later.
One of a few players to have claimed league titles in France, England, and Spain, Henry, however, only had the runner-up medal to show for his numerous exploits in the Champions League until Barcelona faced the Red Devils at Wembley.
In a final dominated by Pep Guardiola’s men, Barca ran away with a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi.
Henry insists that had he not held a desire to participate at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, he would have departed the Camp Nou after that triumphant victory.
“It was the birthday of my daughter, 27 May. I’d never won the Champions League,” Henry told UEFA.com.
“I was over the moon [when we won]. I was like: ‘Finally!’ It was kind of an end for me.
“I carried on playing because the World Cup was in 2010, and my coach in the national team said: ‘Thierry, you can’t just walk out like that on the team and blah blah.’
“But if the World Cup wasn’t after, I think I would have gone to the MLS way before [I did].”