The King has left the building. For good.
On Tuesday, legendary striker Thierry Henry announced his retirement from soccer as the 37-year-old revealed that he will now move into a media role as a pundit and ambassador for Sky Sports in the UK from 2015.
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There’s been plenty of speculation about Henry’s future after he left the New York Red Bulls following the conclusion of their 2014 MLS season, with many believing Henry could make one more stop in MLS or with Arsenal. However the superstar forward, who is the all-time leading goal scorer for Arsenal with 228 goals and France with 51 in 123 appearances, will never play again as his final game turned out to be New York’s 2-2 draw at the New England Revolution in the Eastern conference semifinals on Nov. 29, 2014.
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Henry revealed that it was difficult to retire but is at ease with what he achieved during his career as he won a World Cup, a European Championship, a UEFA Champions League title, domestic titles in England, Spain and France plus the MLS Supporters’ Shield among many other personal accolades throughout his glittering career.
“It’s hard to leave the game you love behind,” he said. “But I’m at peace with what I’ve done in the game; I’ve got no regrets. I still think I can give a lot to the game. I’m retiring and I’m not yet involved in any team so, in the meantime, why not give back to the game on TV and make people understand some stuff they don’t understand?”
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With many speculating that a third spell at Arsenal was coming up for Henry, the Frenchman revealed that was never an option.
“You never leave Arsenal Football Club. Everyone wants to know about the playing side but we didn’t talk too much about that,” Henry said. “If you moved back it would have turned out to be a bad move at one point. We all loved the first Rocky, but I don’t know about the last one. You come back once but I don’t see going to Arsenal as a comeback. I feel like I never left the place. I had one comeback and I guess it was enough.”
Throughout the coming days at ProSoccerTalk, we will look back at the career of one of the greatest strikers in world history. After 20 years of success at the very top, it has been pleasure to watch his incredible career. Merci, Thierry. Here’s the official announcement Henry made via his official Facebook page.After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football. It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and of course the French National Team that have made my time in the game so special.
It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports. I will hopefully share some of the insights, observations and experiences I have learnt over the years with you guys.
I have had some amazing memories (mostly good!) and a wonderful experience. I hope you have enjoyed watching as much as I have enjoyed taking part.
See you on the other side...Follow @JPW_NBCSports