"It happened to me to cry, alone, but I was struggling not to crack", Thierry Henry evokes depression among footballers

It is a less and less taboo subject in sport but still a little in football: the depression of the players.

In a long interview with L'Équipe, former world champion Thierry Henry, now a consultant for Prime Video, agreed to discuss the subject.

Delivering in passing some confidences

Neymar and Messi can suffer from this disease.

“Neymar has often spoken in his last interviews about his well-being, about the pressure, explains the ex-Gunner… So my first thought was: “Is he good?

He speaks but can we hear him?

He asks for “help”, there are things going on in his head, like any human being.

Messi?

When we talk about Messi or Neymar, exceptional players, we forget this dimension too much.

When Lionel cried leaving Barcelona, ​​it was not programmed.

When you think you're never going to leave somewhere and suddenly it happens, it creates an emotional shock.

The difficulty of admitting one's weaknesses

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“I don't know how people would react if a football player spoke like that at the end of a match, explaining that he was not mentally well.

In my time, it was much harder, totally taboo, recalls Thierry Henry.

Even in the group.

You arrived in the locker room: “How are you?

» - Yes'', even if it was not going well.

(…) Today, a player can open up more.

But if you say,

Mentally, I wasn't well.

“The game after you can take a lot away.

What are the opposing supporters going to sing, what are they going to shout when you take a throw-in or when you arrive at the stadium?

“Ah

he was scared last week! 

It's not easy to open all the doors and everyone can read who you are.

A blocked back because of the mind.

“It takes emotional time to move on,” sighs Henry.

It happened to me every time.

Starting with post-1998… 1996, I made the Euro (under 18), 1997 the Under 20 World Cup and 1998 the World Cup.

I got them when my vacation between my 17 and 20?

Result: herniated disc.

I will always remember it, I had been sent back to Espoirs because, supposedly, I was no longer making the effort.

I'm talking to Raymond Domenech at Clairefontaine, I turn around and suddenly I can't move.

The reactions at the time were: He's got a big head, he doesn't want to play anymore!

No, I had a hernia.

You want me to list the number of games without cuts for three years?

After a while, you have to take the wall in the face.

Do we remember at the moment that Sergio Ramos has been playing all the matches for seventeen years?

It's normal that at some point his body alerts him.

(…) Crying was impossible.

You couldn't show your weaknesses.

It was: "Thierry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!"

It happened to me to cry, alone, but I struggled not to break down.

Now I'm crying."