Thierry Henry's Diary

Thierry Henry is enjoying his first few days as a player with FC Barcelona in St. Andrews. The French forward has been delighted by the welcome the club has received in Scotland and is enjoying the atmosphere in the camp.

To follow we offer Thierry Henry´s thoughts on the first handover of his diary covering the Pre-season stage:

"The welcome in Saint Andrews has been great. All the people in Great Britain are very good people. They always give you a warm welcome and make everything go as well as possible during your stay and that is the same again this time. Since we have arrived the people have been very good to us a very kind. The facilities here are incredible as are the training facilities. For me is the same as I experienced throughout my time in England, although I have to say that if you tell as Scotsman they are like the English it may not go down very well, but for me the treatment has been equally as good. It has been like that since we arrived and everything is going well. In fact, I had only been to Scotland twice before and both times were for international matches in Glasgow.

On a day-to-day basis, I have the chance to play bat some very big clubs and everything that has happened at Barça has been similar to what I have experienced before. One thing that I like very much is the atmosphere among everyone, the players and the coaching staff. When you arrive at a new place you are always a little anxious, but I am delighted that everyone here talks to everyone else and everyone gets on so well. Above all though, I like that fact that when it is time to work, everyone works hard and then, when we are all back in the hotel we have a laugh and enjoy ourselves. I really like that.

The truth is that today we played a little game. It is not that I am tired, but one thing is doing a bit of running and another to actually play in a match. Today was the first time since the beginning of March, entrenomatiescocia24707_x9x.jpgnearly five months, that I have played football. Because of that I knew I would feel a bit strange, since I still need to readjust. But I have to say that being able to play was great, I needed that. Scoring goals is not worrying me, the most important thing was to play. It will not be easy, but I have to train and work hard to be able to play and then it will be down to the coach. But for now I am very happy to be playing again!

During the moments when we can rest in pre-season, like the one that we have after lunch, I always like a little sleep. We also have a late training session and I like to put the television on and take a nap and have a short dream. I cannot think about reading then because as soon as I open a book I would fall asleep straight away. When the season starts and I am fitter I will be able to use those moments to read or to look at the internet. Now though, I have to make use of our rest periods whenever I can."

Until Tomorrow,

Thierry Henry"

Thierry Henry wrote:All the people in Great Britain are very good people.

Henry’s Diary (II)

www.fcbarcelona.cat

In the second chapter of his diary, Thierry Henry speaks about his eating habits, admits he enjoys bread and tomato and says he is looking forward to his debut for Barça.

“We have been working hard these last few days and need to eat a lot to keep up our energy. I eat what I have to and what my body needs, without excesses. I eat a bit of everything but I take special care over fruit, because I think that’s very important. I eat everything but I like to mix, a bit of pasta, rice, chicken, salad...

When I’m in a hotel I like to vary what I eat each day. Because if not you end up eating the same thing all the time and it gets boring. But there’s one thing I can’t get here and that I have tried in Barcelona and I like a lot, and that’s bread and tomato! You take the bread, spread on tomato and garlic, and a bit of salt and oil and you can it eat it just like that! And if you put a bit of ham on top it’s delicious. I like ‘bravas’ potatoes too. They’re incredible. I like them a lot.

As for the day to day stuff, we woke up to a bit of rain today, a very Scottish climate after so many sunny days. That was good for training, because we are running a lot these days, a bit of rain with a bit of heat is good for your body. The training session was tough, but that’s normal during the pre-season. The sessions are intense, we have to run a lot to get into form for the new season. The work is hard but we’ll have to get used to it. With each day I’m getting closer to normal fitness, and as I haven’t played for so long I am going to have to work hard along with everybody else.

On Thursday I might play my first game for Barça, I’m not sure, the boss will decide. I’m sure it will be exciting because even though it’s not an official game, it will be the first time I pull on the Barça shirt, and just for that it will be a big moment. I can’t say I’m nervous because I’m 30 years old and at this stage of my life I can’t get nervous about things like that, but I am excited.

In the first training sessions I have been put in attack alongside Ronaldinho and Eto’o. The truth is it is not normal for any team to have so many good players together, it’s amazing and it is our luck and that of the Barça fans that it is like that. It is a great feeling to be able to play with Samuel and Ronnie, but not just them, but the rest of the squad as well. Wherever you look, in the dressing room or the dining room, you keep saying top quality international players!

Until tomorrow

Thierry Henry"

It is a great feeling to be able to play with Samuel and Ronnie

but not just them, but the rest of the squad as well.

Wherever you look, in the dressing room or the dining room, you keep saying top quality international players!

kas wrote:No, because Rijkaard keeps Oleguer and Maxi locked in their hotel rooms

In the third chapter of his diary, Thierry Henry talks about communication within the dressing room and how he’s getting on with his Catalan and Spanish. He also reveals his feelings ahead of his probable debut against Dundee United.

“Communication within the team in the first few days has been pretty easy. ‘Ronnie' and Samuel speak French and so do Yaya and, obviously, Lilian and Eric. I’m working hard on learning Spanish but I still can’t do a complete interview in that language or give meaning to my phrases. I hope to do so soon.

WEB_07.jpgThe important thing is that for the moment I understand well and that helps me to understand the instructions that Rijkaard gives us in training. Right now I speak French, English and a little Italian. That helps me understand Spanish a little because they’re similar but it also makes me confuse them when I try to speak, and it comes out in Italian. I don’t really know why. But you have to remember that I’ve only been here for a week. I’m trying to learn and it’ll all come in time.

As for Catalan, at the presentation I was already able to say what Cesc taught me. The coaches, physios and other team assistants all speak in Catalan and when they speak slowly I understand but when they speak fast it’s more difficult! The difficulty is that I’m trying to learn Catalan and Spanish at the same time and sometimes I confuse them. For example I always say ‘bon dia’ (Good day) in the mornings because it’s what comes out. The fact is I don’t know many more words in Catalan – the typical words such as ‘molt bé’ (very good), ‘moltes gràcies’ (thank you very much), ‘adéu’ (Goodbye)... I think the important thing above all is to know well the culture of the place you’re going to play.

WEB_03.jpgApart from that, I’m together in Saint Andrews with a lot of young players from the youth ranks. I haven’t had the chance to talk in any depth with them yet, precisely because I still don’t speak good Spanish. But I’d already seen Bojan win the European under-16 (with Fran Mérida, who was with me at Arsenal) and Giovani in the under-17 World Cup and I already knew they were great players. The fact is, just like the rest of the young players, if they’re here it’s because they’re good. But the only thing I can tell them is to go ahead with their dreams; they’ve got the quality and the rest in the mentality.

Tonight we have the match against Dundee United, my debut, and I’m ready for it. I’m always ready. But I also have to say that right now the most important thing for me is to know how long I’ll play for, after five months without playing. What I want to do is play and not get injured, and if in addition everything goes well that’s an extra. I want to play football again but taking it a bit at a time. In the next chapter of my diary I’ll be able to explain how it went!

See you tomorrow

Thierry Henry"

Mexicanbecks wrote:i like the idea of these blogs, do any other players do this?

He came and conquered, one game and one goal. In the latest entry in his diary, Thierry Henry speaks of his debut with his new team, and the kind of passion shown by the fans both for himself and Barça.

“On Thursday I played my first game for Barça and in general it was a very emotional day. First because it was the first time I have played for five months, and also because I was able to score my first goal for Barça. Although it wasn’t an official goal, it was very important for me.

The reception from the Dundee United fans was great, and I was able to play for 45 minutes without any problems. It was a difficult game because you have to remember that we have only been training for 4 or 5 days, while Dundee United have been working hard for three weeks, and so they were fresher. So me and the rest of the team, we’re still trying to get back to full fitness, and that’s what we’re working on.

dundeefcb_x8x.jpgI have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the ovation I got from the crowd when I started warming up. I have never played in Scotland before and the welcome has been amazing. But I think there are a lot of very good people here in Scotland, and they know how to give you a good welcome. I played in Great Britain for several years, and fans generally treated me very well indeed.

Today I gave my first press conference since I came to Barça; the only one I gave before was at my presentation. There was a lot of expectation, but I guess that’s the way it will always be. When you play for a team like Barça, everybody wants to know about what’s happening, they want to know about this, that and the other. That’s normal. But press conferences are generally the same thing over and over, the same questions, the same answers. But you have to do them, it’s all part of the job.

I have to say that the media interest here is different. When I was at Arsenal, nobody reported on our training sessions. England’s like that. But it’s a bit like when I was at Juve or Monaco, so I am kind of used to it. And every day when we get to the hotel, there are crowds of autograph hunters, but that’s only to be expected because in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England, they live for football. And if you have come with a team like Barça, they will definitely want to watch you.

About last night’s match, I have got into my rhythm with training and matches. But that’s what football is like, you never stop! But I like it, and I can’t wait for the official season to get under way. The team needs it, and I imagine the fans do too!

Until tomorrow

Thierry Henry"

A few hours before facing Heart of Midlothian, Thierry Henry looked ahead to his feelings about the game. Barça are set to play in front of a full house when they take on the Jambos at Murrayfield.

"Today we are playing against Hearts in the second game during our stay in Scotland. The most important thing will be that the whole squad finishes the match without incurring any injuries. If we can also win, then that would be even better. On the other hand, when I can say is that this will be a very difficult game for us.

As I said the other day, we have only been training for a week and, just like in the first game, we will be up against a side that have had more time to prepare. In general I think that will be a good game, even though I expect it to be more difficult than the one against Dundee United. Now it is great to be playing competitive matches and I hope that we see a really good game. I think that Hearts are a team that are closer to Celtic or Rangers, the two strongest sides in Scotland. They have a very good team and I believe that they came close to winning the league a couple of years ago.

I am sure that there will be a lot of people in the ground and the atmosphere will be great as people have been waiting a long time for this match, which will no doubt be a real battle in the good sense of the word. What we will have to do is to make the best of every chance that we create, like the ones that I had in the second half against Dundee United. We have to be prepared to fight and to play well. We know how well we are capable of playing and we must be ready.

I have been told that more than 53,000 tickets have been sold for the game. The atmosphere will be incredible, but I am used to playing in stadiums like this, having played in Great Britain and seen it before. It will be a really great atmosphere, not bad at all. I expect a great game and hope to win.

We are playing at Murrayfield, a stadium that traditionally holds rugby matches. But it really makes no difference whether you play in a stadium built for football, rugby or cricket. Wherever you are, the fans always sing here and it lifts everyone and creates a great atmosphere. You will be able to see that. I do not know if it is possible to create a better atmosphere than the one I think that there will be today. Maybe we will enjoy even better atmospheres during our games in China and Japan, but here when people sing and shout it is very powerful. We just have to hope we have some luck.

Until tomorrow,

Thierry Henry"