Thierry Henry’s point wasn’t without validity. Sat in front of the Canadian press, his new audience, with a Montreal Impact scarf draped around his neck, the Frenchman used his own playing career as a way to dispel concerns over the abject failure of his first managerial stint. “You guys always remember the good stuff, but I became a better player in the darkness,” he said.
Indeed, he did. Henry was something of a late bloomer as a player, only fully fulfilling his potential after moving to Arsenal as a 22-year-old. The hope, at least from Montreal’s point of view following their appointment of the Frenchman as their new head coach last week, is that his managerial career will follow a similar trajectory.