Why did Thierry Henry wear number 14?
Thierry Henry and number 14 are strongly associated with each other for many football fans. At Arsenal, the French forward wore 14 on his back for years. Later, he also wore the same number at FC Barcelona and New York Red Bulls.
Thierry Henry's choice of number 14 at Arsenal was not planned in advance. When he joined the club in 1999, he actually wanted number 12.
- 1. Why did Thierry Henry get number 14 at Arsenal?
- 2. Why did Thierry Henry want number 12?
- 3. Number 14 became his regular number at Arsenal
- 4. Henry's later career
- 5. Return to Arsenal wearing number 12
- 6. From coincidence to legendary
- 7. Frequently asked questions about Henry and number 14
- 8. Buy authentic vintage Henry shirts?
Why did Thierry Henry get number 14 at Arsenal?
Henry joined Arsenal from Juventus in the summer of 1999. Henry would have preferred to play with number 12. However, Cristopher Wreh was already wearing that number at the time.
Henry did not want to take the number and decided to play with number 14.
Henry later explained himself that there was originally no special thought behind number 14. It was simply an available shirt number when he arrived at Arsenal.
Why did Thierry Henry want number 12?
His preference for number 12 did have a clear reason.
As a young footballer, Henry watched Marco van Basten. During EURO 1988, the Dutch striker wore number 12. Van Basten scored five times and played an important role in the Netherlands' European title.
That number remained in Henry's thoughts.
That is why Henry played for years with number 12 for the French national team.
Number 14 became his permanent number at Arsenal
The fact that shirt number 14 is associated with Thierry Henry is mainly due to his performances at Arsenal.
Henry did not have an easy start in England. He failed to score in his first eight matches for Arsenal, but then his goal production quickly got going.
In the years that followed, he became one of the team's most important players. Henry won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2001/02 and 2003/04. During the latter season, Arsenal went unbeaten in all 38 league matches.
Henry scored 30 league goals that season. In total, he won the Premier League Golden Boot four times during his Arsenal career.
Because of these phenomenal performances, shirt number 14 became associated with Thierry Henry. Initially, he wanted to play with shirt number 12, but ultimately number 14 became his iconic shirt number.
Henry's later career
When Henry left Arsenal for FC Barcelona in 2007, he took number 14 with him.
At his presentation at Camp Nou, he was given that shirt number again. He played three seasons for FC Barcelona, making 121 official appearances and scoring 49 goals.
Henry left Barcelona in 2010 for New York Red Bulls. He also played with number 14 there.
Thierry Henry's association with shirt number 14 began as a coincidence, but grew into an iconic symbol of his career.
Return to Arsenal shirt number 12
When Henry temporarily returned to Arsenal in 2012, Theo Walcott wore number 14. Henry therefore played with number 12 during that brief return.
From coincidence to legendary
When Henry arrived at Arsenal in 1999, number 14 did not yet have any special meaning for him. He preferred number 12, but it was already occupied by Christopher Wreh.
In the years that followed, that changed naturally. Henry kept scoring, won trophies with Arsenal and became one of the club's defining players with number 14 on his back.
Even after leaving London, he stuck with the same shirt number. At FC Barcelona and later at New York Red Bulls, he played with number 14 again.
A number that initially emerged at Arsenal for mainly practical reasons ultimately became Henry's permanent shirt number at club level.
Why did Thierry Henry wear number 14 at Arsenal?
Henry actually wanted to wear number 12 at Arsenal. That number already belonged to Christopher Wreh. Henry did not want to take the shirt number away from his teammate, so he was given number 14 instead.
Why did Thierry Henry want number 12?
Henry wanted number 12 because of Marco van Basten. Van Basten wore that number during EURO 1988 and was a player Henry looked up to.
Which clubs did Thierry Henry wear number 14 for?
Henry wore number 14 at Arsenal, FC Barcelona and New York Red Bulls. Number 14 ultimately became his regular club number.
What number did Thierry Henry wear for France?
Henry mainly wore number 12 for the French national team.
Why did Thierry Henry wear number 12 at Arsenal in 2012?
When Henry temporarily returned to Arsenal in 2012, Theo Walcott wore number 14. Henry therefore played with number 12 during that brief return.
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