Henry considered France exit after Euro flop
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has admitted he considered retiring from international football after France’s disappointing exit from Euro 2004.
The holders were beaten by eventual winners Greece at the quarter-final stage in Portugal.
Zinedine Zidane, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram all called time on their international careers afterwards.
And Henry, who won the World Cup with Les Bleus in 1998, admitted it was something which also crossed his mind.
“I thought about leaving after our disappointing performance at the European Championship, but it didn’t last long and I brushed aside the idea,” he said.
France open their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign against Israel in Paris tomorrow.
And Henry, 27, is looking forward to leading a new generation of French stars under coach Raymond Domenech.
“I don’t feel tired. There is a new generation coming up and there is a new squad to build up. I want to be part of this story,” added Henry.
“France need to get back to winning ways and the sooner the better. We badly need a string of wins now.”
