Thierry Henry wore 14 for most of his club career: at Arsenal, at Barcelona and at the New York Red Bulls. For France he wore 12. This Thierry Henry shirt history goes club by club, with the numbers, the makers and the details that help you date a Henry shirt today.
Monaco and Juventus: before the 14
Henry made his Monaco debut on 31 August 1994, in a 2-0 defeat to Nice, under Arsène Wenger. He was part of the side that won Ligue 1 in 1996-97, mostly as a winger rather than a centre forward.
In January 1999 Juventus signed him for £10.5 million. It did not work out: 16 appearances and 3 goals, mostly out wide. By August he had left for Arsenal.
Arsenal 1999-2007: the Thierry Henry shirt everyone knows
Arsenal signed Henry on 3 August 1999 for about £11 million, and Wenger moved him into the middle. He took the number 14. He had actually wanted 12, but Christopher Wreh already had it.
All of his Arsenal shirts were made by Nike. The first ones carried SEGA's Dreamcast across the chest; from 2002 it was O2. That gives you a quick way to place a shirt: Dreamcast means his early seasons, O2 means the years around the Invincibles of 2003-04, when Arsenal went the whole league season unbeaten.
The 2005-06 home shirt stands apart. Arsenal swapped red for redcurrant to mark the last season at Highbury, with gold trim and gold O2 lettering. A year later Henry played his final season in the first Fly Emirates shirt at the new stadium, before leaving in the summer of 2007.
By then he had scored 228 goals for the club, 175 of them in the Premier League, and won two league titles and three FA Cups. We have an Arsenal 2005-06 home Henry #14 player issue shirt in stock, and the full Arsenal kit history covers the other seasons.
The 2012 return: why Henry wore 12
Henry came back on loan from New York on 6 January 2012. The 14 was taken, so he finally got the 12 he had asked for in 1999. In his first game back he scored the only goal of an FA Cup third round tie against Leeds United. A month earlier, on 10 December 2011, Arsenal had unveiled his statue outside the Emirates Stadium.
There are far fewer Arsenal shirts printed Henry 12 than Henry 14, since he was only back for a couple of months. It is one of those prints, like the ones in our piece on the strangest shirt numbers in football, that makes a shirt stand out.
France: always the 12
For France, Henry wore 12. He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with Les Bleus, played in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy and retired from international football after the 2010 World Cup, with 123 caps and 51 goals.
His whole France career was played in adidas shirts, so a France Henry 12 from his era will always carry the three stripes. Browse our vintage France shirts for the ones we have now.
Barcelona 2007-2010: the 14 again
Barcelona paid €24 million for Henry in June 2007 and gave him the 14, the number Johan Cruyff had made famous at Ajax and for the Netherlands. The shirts were Nike, with the UNICEF logo across the front. In 2008-09 he played alongside Messi and Eto'o in the front three that won the league, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. More Barcelona seasons are in our FC Barcelona collection.
New York Red Bulls 2010-2014
Henry joined the New York Red Bulls in July 2010 and wore 14 there too. He stayed until the end of 2014 and retired as a player that year. MLS shirts were made by adidas, so his Red Bulls shirts are adidas as well.
How to check a Thierry Henry shirt
Start with the number: 14 for Arsenal (1999-2007), Barcelona and New York, 12 for France and for the 2012 Arsenal loan. Then check that the maker and sponsor match the season: Nike with a Dreamcast, O2 or Fly Emirates sponsor at Arsenal, Nike with UNICEF at Barcelona, adidas for France and New York. Our guide to Nike product codes shows how to date an Arsenal or Barcelona shirt from the label.
Then look at the print. An original style name and number set should match the league or competition lettering of that season. Every Henry shirt we have is listed in the Thierry Henry collection, with photos of the back.
FAQ
What number did Thierry Henry wear at Arsenal?
14, from 1999 to 2007. During his loan spell in early 2012 he wore 12, because 14 was taken.
What number did Henry wear for France?
12. He wore it through a France career that brought the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, 123 caps and 51 goals.
What number did Henry wear at Barcelona?
14, from 2007 to 2010, including the 2008-09 season in which Barcelona won the treble.
Who made Arsenal's shirts when Henry played there?
Nike, for his whole first spell. The chest sponsor was SEGA's Dreamcast in his early seasons, O2 from 2002 and Fly Emirates in his last season.
Every shirt at Nostalgic Football Shirts is one-of-one, measured flat on the product page. Check the measurements guide before you buy.