Former France, Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry – now a professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster – has revealed that he struggled with mental health during his career.

The 46-year-old, currently the manager of the France national under-21 team, retired from professional football in December 2014, after a glittering 20-year club career.

"Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression. Did I know it? No. Did I do something about it? No. But I adapted to a certain way," Henry told The Diary Of A CEO podcast.

He said it was a difficult time for him during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was managing Canadian Major League Soccer side CF Montréal (2019–2021).

"I was in isolation in Montreal, and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough. Tears were coming alone. Why I don't know, but maybe they were there for a very long time."

Considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, and one of the greatest players in Premier League history, Henry also played for Monaco, Juventus and New York Red Bulls.

He won two Premier League titles before moving to Barcelona, where he won a pair of La Liga titles as well as the Champions League. In 1996 he was a member of the European under-18 championship team, and two years later he played on the French national team that won the FIFA World Cup.