Thierry Henry has been appointed as head coach of Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact. The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker has signed a two-year contract, with the option of a further season, following an unsuccessful stint in charge of Monaco which ended in January.
Henry finished his playing career in MLS, scoring 51 goals in 122 appearances for the New York Red Bulls from 2010 to 2014.
He told the club’s official website: “It’s an honour to become head coach of the Montreal Impact and return to MLS. It’s a league that I know well in which I had some very nice moments.
“To be in Quebec, in Montreal, which has a huge multicultural heritage, it’s extraordinary. I have always had an eye on this club and now I’m here.”
Henry, who also played for Juventus and Monaco and was a World Cup winner with France in 1998, lasted only three and a half months in charge of the French club after failing to rejuvenate the struggling side following the departure of Leonardo Jardim, who later returned to the role as Henry’s successor.
However Impact’s sporting director Olivier Renard is confident the 42-year-old, who previously served as assistant to Belgium boss Roberto Martínez, is the right man to bring success to the Canadian outfit. Renard said: “We are very happy to have Thierry join us.“Young and dynamic, he’s very familiar with MLS and meets the qualities we were looking for in our search.
“This nomination, two months before the start of camp in January, will give us a chance to build our squad with the man that will lead it.”
Impact’s president and CEO Kevin Gilmore added: “Henry will bring a new dynamism to our club. He shares our vision of wanting to elevate this organisation by helping us achieve our goals on and off the field. He is a competitor and a leader who has distinguished himself at the highest level throughout his career. He brings his skills with him to Montreal, a place he wants to be.”
Impact finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and 18th overall under Wilmer Cabrera last season.
