FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

At the FIFA World Cup France 1998™, Aime Jacquet’s squad included several attackers who, although highly talented, lacked experience at international level. At that time, the reputations of both David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry were confined to French borders.
Today, Henry is not only regarded as one of the finest strikers on the planet, but has also become a genuine phenomenon in his seven seasons in the English Premiership with Arsenal. As clubs all over Europe can testify, his deadly finishing is matched only by his elegant style.

Made club captain last summer after the departure of fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira, ‘Titi’ has enjoyed yet another sensational season, even smashing the London club’s all-time scoring record held previously by Ian Wright (185 goals).

The boy from the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis first made a name for himself at Monaco where, under the watchful eye of his guru Arsene Wenger, he developed an array of skills that would propel him to the summit of his sport. Picked initially by Jacquet to play a bit-part role at France 98, Henry ended the tournament as his side’s top scorer with three goals to his name.

In 1999, he escaped from an inauspicious spell at Juventus, to whom he was sold by Monaco, by moving to Highbury, a switch that saw his career take on a whole new dimension. There, his old mentor Wenger converted him from a left winger into an out-and-out centre-forward. Revelling in his new role, Henry proceeded to play a key part in France’s UEFA Euro 2000 coronation by chipping in with three goals. The football world was witnessing the birth of a legend.

Finding form
The following season, Henry really hit top gear, finishing top scorer in a team that also included the Dutch maestro Dennis Bergkamp. But for the team as a whole, the campaign was marked by the dual disappointment of a cup final loss to Liverpool and elimination in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League by Valencia.

One year later, the English Premiership’s top scorer arrived in Asia for the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. But after being knocked out in the group stage without scoring a single goal, France suddenly found that the dark days were upon them.

When they were also defeated in the quarter-final of Euro 2004 by future champions Greece, les Bleus were forced to acknowledge that an era had ended. Drafted in to oversee the reconstruction, Raymond Domenech was hit by a wave of temporary retirements that deprived him of the likes of Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane. But the coach responded by appointing Henry as one of his generals, a move he would not regret. When France’s place in Germany came under threat during their FIFA World Cup preliminary campaign, Henry responded with a stunning strike against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin that got his country back on track for qualification (1-0).

Stung by les Bleus’ ignominious FIFA World Cup exit four years ago, Henry is more motivated than ever by the idea of silencing the sceptics who claim he is less effective at international level as he is for his club. Defenders of the world, watch out: Henry is likely to be at his devastating best in Germany this summer.

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Thierry Henry has been a goalscorer par excellence ever since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. Since being converted from a wide player into a central striker he has matured into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup. Scored six goals in seven UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifiers and then found the net twice in the win against Switzerland that took France to the quarter-finals, though his form in the early 2006 World Cup qualifiers was as frustrating as France's.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to the French title in 1996/97 and a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later replaced Nicolas Anelka at Arsenal, where he assumed the centre-forward's role that transformed his career.

2001: A hugely successful season for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot and Arsenal competed the English domestic double. He was then voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the Year for 2002, and ended the next campaign with an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards. He retained the latter prize the next season and won the ESM Golden Shoe with 30 Premiership golas in inspiring Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign.

2004/05: Arsenal may have relinquished the Premiership title and again fallen short in the Champions League, but Henry's form barely dipped as he ensured a share of the ESM Golden Shoe with 25 goals and won another FA Cup.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Thierry Henry is a goalscorer par excellence who has not looked back since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. The extra responsibility which came with being converted from a wide player into a central striker has seen him mature into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Scored six goals in seven qualifiers to finish as his country's joint-leading marksman along with David Trezeguet and Sylvain Wiltord. Henry struck four times in the two games against Malta and also registered in home victories against Cyprus and Israel.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to win the French title in 1996/97 and reach a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later was heading for Highbury to replace Nicolas Anelka.

2001: The season preceding Korea/Japan was hugely successul for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot as the Londoners wrested the title from Manchester United FC and defeated Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final. His performances were enough to see him voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the year for 2002. Scored a majestic UEFA Champions League at AS Roma the following term, ending it with 24 league goals, an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards.

2003/04: English Footballer of the Year again and winner of the ESM Golden Shoe, Henry's electric performances inspired Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign. He scored 30 league goals and five more in the Champions League.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

BBC's UEFA EURO 2004 player's profile

Thierry Henry is widely regarded as the best striker in the world currently.

Since moving from Juventus to Arsenal for £10.5m in 1999, Henry has been converted from a tricky winger to the deadliest forward around.

He combines sublime skill on the ball, a breathtaking turn of pace and devastating finishing to rattle in the goals for both club and country.

Henry was France's top scorer in both the victorious campaigns at World Cup 98 and Euro 2000.

Should he emulate that success again in Portugal, he will surely go one better than coming second in both World and European Player of the Year polls in 2003.

The only black spot on Henry's career is his sending off against Uruguay in France's failure at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the memory of which will no doubt drive both him and the team to succeed at Euro 2004.

©bbc.co.uk 2004. All rights reserved.