Henry began his club career at AS Monaco in his native France, joining English Premier League club Arsenal in 1999 after a brief spell at Juventus in Italy’s Serie A. He went on to become a legend for the Gunners, beating Ian Wright’s all-time goalscoring record for the club. His time in North London was also rewarded with two English Premier League titles – one of which as an ‘Invincible’- and three FA Cups. In 2007, he made the switch to Spanish giants Barcelona where he continued his winning ways, most memorably helping to secure six trophies, including the Champions League, in the 2008/09 season.

His international career included a World Cup win on home soil in 1998 and a 2000 European Championships victory for Les Bleus. Following retirement from his playing career he has coached at club and international level and remains a much sought-after TV pundit and iconic figure within the game.

Neal Menashe, Chief Executive Officer, Super Group – the holding company for Betway – commented: “Thierry Henry is a true football legend and sporting great, and it is with immense pleasure that we welcome him into the Betway family of ambassadors and partners. Our deal with Thierry’s former-club Arsenal has been a flagship part of our marketing strategy over the last two years. We look forward to sharing his expert insights and exclusive content with our customers across the world”.

The deal marks the start of domestic football leagues in Europe, in a season which will culminate in ‘World Cup 2026’ in North America. Henry remarked: “Football’s always been about action and excitement, and that’s what Betway brings to fans in a unique way. I’m really looking forward to being part of something that connects people to the game they love”.

-ENDS-

About Betway

Betway is part of Super Group: the global digital company which provides first-class entertainment to the worldwide betting and gaming community.

Super Group (SGHC) Limited is the holding company for leading global online sports betting and gaming businesses: Betway, a premier online sports betting brand, and Spin, a multi-brand online casino offering. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE ticker: SGHC), the group is licensed in over 20 jurisdictions, with leading positions in key markets throughout Europe, the Americas and Africa. The group’s successful sports betting and online gaming offerings are underpinned by its scale and leading technology, enabling fast and effective entry into new markets. Its proprietary marketing and data analytics engine empower it to responsibly provide a unique and personalized customer experience. For more information, visit www.sghc.com

Betway Group is a leading provider of innovative and exciting entertainment across sports betting, casino and esports betting. Launched in 200C, the company operates across a number of regulated online markets. Betway prides itself on providing its customers with a bespoke, fun and informed betting experience, supported by a safe, secure, fair and responsible environment.

Betway is a member of several prominent industry-related bodies, including International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), iGaming European Network (iGEN), the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS), Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association (SWIMA) and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), and is ISO 27001 certified through the trusted international testing agency eCOGRA.

For more information about Betway please visit: www.betway.co.bw

The 27-year-old completed his transfer – worth up to £64m (73m euros) – on Saturday, ending the Gunners’ hunt for a striker to help their quest to lift a trophy for the first time since the FA Cup in 2020 in Mikel Arteta’s first season.

Henry’s 228 goals in 377 games made him synonymous with Arsenal’s number 14 shirt.

And speaking before what could be his first match in Arsenal colours in Hong Kong against rivals Tottenham on Thursday, Gyokeres says it was an “easy” choice to make when selecting his squad number.

“Of course I know about the history,” said Gyokeres.

“To be honest there weren’t so many numbers available. There weren’t too many to pick from.

“But of course, that one was available. So when I knew that it was an easy choice to take it.”

Henry won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Premier League Golden Boot four times with Arsenal, but Gyokeres is not worried about any comparisons that may come between the two.

“I don’t know. It’s not really my intention to be compared with what he’s achieved in his career,” he said.

“Especially here. I just want to do my own thing and show my qualities. Of course he was an amazing player, but different from me. I just want to try to do my own thing.”

Arteta said he felt the number would be a good fit for Gyokeres after their initial meeting.

“I use the word conviction and that’s the first thing that I noticed when I spoke to him,” he explained.

“Someone very determined, someone that was already really attached to the club the way he was talking about the club, the history and in this case Thierry and what the shirt represented. He straight away felt it, and when you feel it – go for it.”

There has been a huge fan reaction to Gyokeres’ signing with purchases of his replica shirt breaking club records.

“Of course it’s great to see. It’s very nice. Of course that gives you extra motivation,” he added.

“I think I have enough expectations on myself. I’ll just try to perform anyway.”

‘Joining Arsenal wasn’t a difficult choice’

The signing of Gyokeres was one of the longest running transfers of the summer and it was held up in the final week while Arsenal and Sporting negotiated over the add-ons to the transfer fee.

Sporting’s club president Frederico Varandas also said that Gyokeres faced disciplinary action after failing to report for training, while every stage of the deal created a lot of fan interest.

“It’s been a new experience. I haven’t really been in that situation before,” Gyokeres said.

“It’s been a lot of waiting from my side. I wanted to come here, but it wasn’t that easy. But I’m finally here and it feels great.

“I tried to train as much as possible by myself and keep the day going. A lot of days were the same kind of routine.

“I woke up, trained, had dinner and then went to bed again. It was like that for a few weeks, but it was worth it for sure.”

His new manager Arteta has spoken about the excitement that he and the players have about the signing of the Sweden international and Gyokeres says he felt “that they wanted me here”.

He added: “Also because it’s a very big club with a lot of history. I just felt that I really wanted to come here and be a part of this club.

“I think you can always have a decision of your future. Of course there were other clubs as well, but I didn’t feel it was a difficult choice for me this time.”

Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting and registered 26 assists and although the striker backs himself to succeed in the Premier League, he thinks there will be a period of transititon.

“I think I’ll have to adapt. But I think there are a lot of players from Portugal who have done even better in England. It depends on who you pick,” he said.

“I think it’s difficult to compare one player to another. And how they’re performing in a different league.

“Because there are a lot of different factors. Not only a better league. If you play in a better team also, it makes it easier. Especially if you’re an attacking player. So we’ll have to see.”

Gyokeres has only been with his team-mates for a few days but has said that Arteta has already made clear what he wants from him.

“Just try to use my qualities as much as I can,” he said.

“But as you said, I haven’t been here too long. I’ve only done one training session.

“I think I have to do a few more to come into it even more. So far it’s been feeling great. I’m looking forward to doing even more.”

Arteta, 43, has transformed the Gunners since leaving Manchester City for the club in 2019, making the side regular title challengers.

However, the club have not won a piece of silverware since beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final during Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020.

Arsenal have finished second in the past three Premier League seasons, and they were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the Champions League and Carabao Cup this term.

“I’m not saying that I’m disappointed with Arsenal, but it’s normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing,” Henry told the Stick to Football podcast.

“I understand that at the very beginning you arrive and it’s not your team. You need at the very least three or four transfer windows to change everything that you want to.

“It takes time and you have to give a manager time to be able to implement what he wants to do.

“For the last three years Arsenal have been in a situation where they should have at least brought one cup or [reached] a final.”

Arsenal have averaged 82 points per season over the past three Premier League campaigns.

But Henry used Manchester United, who have won two trophies and competed in five finals during the past five years, as a comparison.

“Manchester United have played in five finals in the last five years, the United that everyone laughs at – whereas for Arsenal in the last three years of building, they’ve not reached a final,” said Henry.

“So I do understand when people ask the question, ‘surely you should compete for a trophy?'”

The 47-year-old signed a two-year deal to manage the side in 2023.

Henry lead an under-23 side on home turf at the Paris Games, where France lost the final 5-3 to Spain in extra time.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker’s contract had been due to run until after next year’s European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia, but Henry has decided to step away from the role.

“Winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games for my country will remain one of the greatest prides of my life,” said Henry in a statement.

“I am incredibly grateful to the federation, the players, the staff and the supporters who allowed me to live a magical experience.”

The France Football Federation said it “obviously regrets” Henry’s decision, adding that he had “achieved the objectives set for him”.

Henry won four of his six matches in charge of the under-21s, winning eight of his 11 games in charge of the Olympic team – which included strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta as overage players.

France finished top of their group following wins over the USA, Guinea and New Zealand, beating Argentina and Egypt in the knockout stages before their final defeat by Spain.

Henry won 123 caps for France during his playing career, scoring 51 times.

Henry, who has managed Monaco and Montreal Impact, is in charge of France’s Under-21 side and is preparing to lead his country’s Olympic team in the Games in Paris next month.

The 46-year-old has a connection to Wales, having studied for his coaching badges with the Football Association of Wales (FAW).

The FAW sacked Page last Friday after three-and-a-half years in charge following Wales’ failure to qualify for Euro 2024.

The governing body plans to take its time in appointing a successor, with no fixture for Wales until they begin their Nations League campaign at home against Turkey in September.

Some FAW bosses are keen to hire a big name, as they did when they appointed former Wales and Manchester United captain Ryan Giggs in 2018.

Henry would be an even higher-profile appointment, given he is one of his generation’s greatest players and remains prominent as a television pundit as well as France’s Under-21 coach.

The FAW would not be able to offer Henry as large a salary as some other national associations but, as he would be able to maintain his lucrative media and sponsorship work if he was Wales manager, the governing body believes its financial constraints would not necessarily prevent a deal from happening.

It was a similar case when Giggs was in charge, with the Manchester United great dividing his time between various business and commercial interests as well as his managerial duties.

Henry had a stellar playing career, winning two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a host of individual honours during his time at Arsenal, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer in the process.

He also won two La Liga titles and a Champions League with Barcelona before embarking on a coaching career that has seen him serve as an assistant to teams such as Belgium as well as managing in his own right.

Speaking on BBC Wales’ Elis James’ Feast of Football podcast, former Wales striker Robert Earnshaw said: “I spent some time with Thierry on the coaching course a couple of years ago because he was on the Welsh FA course.

“He knows [FAW chief football officer] David Adams and the set-up, and he understands Welsh football. The one thing that stood out when I was sat with Thierry was his football brain is brilliant.

“With France Under-21s and the Olympic team, he understands young players. He would raise the bar and the level. I don’t know whether he would want it. I could see someone like Thierry doing it. His football brain is brilliant, he’s so sharp, advanced and has got great ideas.”

The 46-year-old scored a club-record 228 goals in 377 games for the Gunners and won the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000 with France.

“Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression,” Henry told the Diary of a CEO podcast.

“Did I know it? No. Did I do something about it? No. But I adapted to a certain way.”

Henry is now coach of France’s Under-21s, also worked on Belgium’s coaching staff and managed Monaco before taking charge at Montreal Impact in late 2019.

He says there was a period early in the coronavirus pandemic where he was “crying almost every day”.

“You’ve got to put one foot [forward] and another one and walk,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been told since I’m young.

“I never stopped walking – [if I had] then maybe I would have realised [about health struggles]. Covid – I stopped walking. I couldn’t. Then you start to realise.”

The former Juventus, Monaco and Barcelona striker added: “I was in isolation in Montreal, and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough.

“Tears were coming alone. Why I don’t know, but maybe they were there for a very long time.”

Henry said his relationship with his father, who he says was critical of his performances, may have impacted him.

He said his father was “very particular at times on how I was as a player”.

“As a little boy it was always ‘you didn’t do that well’,” he said.

“So obviously when you hear that more often than not, that’s what’s going to stay.”

Henry is now set to take the team to the 2024 Olympic Games, to be held in Paris next year.

The French Football Federation (FFF) had been looking for a new manager following the sacking of Sylvain Ripoll after France were knocked out by Ukraine in the quarter-finals of the European Under-21 Championships this summer.

Reports in France had suggested that Sabri Lamouchi was another candidate under consideration.

The FFF released a statement on Monday evening, saying: “Thierry Henry has been appointed as the new France U21 manager, up until 2025.

“The former French international will lead Les Bleuets through the upcoming qualifying campaign for the 2025 U21 Euros, as well as Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.”

Henry scored 51 goals from 123 appearances for France.

Euro 2025 qualifying starts on September 11 with an away trip against Slovenia.

The team that will compete in the Olympics will be an Under-23 side and will qualify for the tournament as hosts.

Henry’s last managerial role was for Montreal Impact, which he left in 2021, and he left his role as Belgium assistant manager to Roberto Martinez last year, as he searched for a new position as a head coach after the World Cup in Qatar.

The 2024 Olympic Games start on July 26.

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On the matchday two games of the 2022/23 Champions League games, Ajax were hosted at Anfield on Tuesday night.

In the 17th minute, Mohammed Salah broke the deadlock for the Premier League giants.

However, after 10 minutes, Kudus scored a sensational goal.

The 21-year-old’s strike was the talk of the game despite Joel Matip scoring the winner for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the 89th minute to end the game 2-1.

Henry, who won the Champions League with Barcelona and the FIFA World Cup with France couldn’t hide his affection for the former FC Nordsjaelland forward.

“He [Mohammed Kudus] came from the Academy Right to Dream from Ghana and he is living his dream,” he said on CBS Sports.

Kudus won the Man of the Match in the opening game against Rangers last week after he scored and assisted.

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The Black Stars winger followed that up with a brace against Heerenveen in the Eredivisie last weekend before his goal against Liverpool.

His goal at Anfield means he has now scored five goals and assisted once in his last four games for Alfred Schreuder’s side.

Kudus has been named in Ghana’s squad for the friendly games against Brazil and Nicaragua later this month which are scheduled to be played in France and Spain.

The former striker, 43, posted a message to his 2.3m followers on Twitter on Friday saying the problem was “too toxic to ignore”.

He said he would not return to social media until companies “regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright.”

He called for greater action.

“It is far too easy to create an account, use it to bully and harass without consequence and still remain anonymous,” wrote the Frenchman.

“The sheer volume of racism, bullying and resulting mental torture to individuals is too toxic to ignore,” he said.

He won two Premier League titles with Arsenal, where he played between 1999 and 2007.

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Last September, he detailed instances of racism he experienced during his playing career with Arsenal and France.

“We need to make people aware that we are in pain,” he said. “Enough is enough. You fast forward and we’re still in the same situation.”

In Friday’s message, he added: “From tomorrow morning, I will be removing myself from social media until the people in power are able to regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright.

“Until this changes, I will be disabling my accounts across all social platforms. I’m hoping this happens soon.”

Social media companies have insisted they are working to tackle the problem but Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said on Twitter they “must do more”.

Twitter has said it is “committed to Kick It Out’s initiative to tackle online hate and look forward to continuing these discussions and developing solutions with our partners in football.”

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, said it took action on 6.6 million pieces of hate speech between October and December last year and will “take tougher action when we become aware of people breaking our rules in DMs [Direct Messages].

“We’ll continue this work, and know these problems are bigger than us, so we are working with others to collectively drive societal change through action and education.”