Rico Henry

Rico Henry
Henry playing for Walsall in 2015
Personal information
Full name Rico Antonio Henry[1]
Date of birth (1997-07-08) 8 July 1997 (age 27)[2]
Place of birth Birmingham, England
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[3]
Position(s) Left-back[4]
Team information
Current team
 Brentford
Number 3
Youth career
Cadbury Athletic
0000–2014 Walsall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Walsall 46 (2)
2016– Brentford 186 (5)
International career
2015–2016 England U19 4 (0)
2017 England U20 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:17, 4 October 2024 (UTC)

Rico Antonio Henry (born 8 July 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Brentford. He is a product of the Walsall academy and began his senior career with the club. Henry transferred to Brentford in 2016 and passed 200 appearances for the club in August 2023.[5] He represented England at U19 and U20 level.

Club career

Walsall

After a spell with Cadbury Athletic and failing a trial with Aston Villa,[6][7] Henry joined Walsall at age 11 and at age 14 he was converted from a central midfielder to a left back.[8][9] He progressed through the youth ranks to make his first non-competitive senior appearance for the club shortly after his 16th birthday, in a pre-season friendly versus Leeds United in July 2013.[8] One year later, he signed his first professional contract after impressing for the club's youth team.[10] Henry received his maiden calls into the first team squad for two League One matches in September and October 2014 respectively,[11] before making his competitive debut with a start in a Football League Trophy northern area semi-final shootout win over Tranmere Rovers on 9 December.[12] He made his league debut four days later, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3–1 victory over Barnsley.[12] Henry made eight further appearances during the 2014–15 season,[12] but his progress was disrupted by a dislocated shoulder.[13] He signed a two-year contract extension in April 2015 and was named as Walsall's Young Player of the Year.[14][15]

Henry broke into the starting line-up on a full-time basis during the 2015–16 season.[16] He had a successful season, making 44 appearances, scoring three goals, signing a new three-year contract and winning England youth international recognition.[16][17] Walsall consistently challenged for promotion during the season and finished in third position to qualify for a place in the 2016 League One play-offs,[18] but Henry's season ended with a 6–1 aggregate defeat to the eventually-promoted club Barnsley in the semi-finals.[16] He was recognised for his performances during the season, winning the September 2015 Football League Young Player of the Month award,[19] in addition to being named in the League One PFA Team of the Year and receiving a nomination for the Football League Young Player of the Year award.[20]

Henry made three early-2016–17 season appearances,[21][16] before suffering a dislocation to the same shoulder previously injured in February 2015 after half an hour of 0–0 draw with Oldham Athletic on 13 August 2016.[13] The Oldham appearance proved to be Henry's last for Walsall and he departed the Bescot Stadium on 31 August.[22] He made 57 appearances and scored three goals for the club.[23]

Brentford

On 31 August 2016, Henry signed for Championship club Brentford for an initial fee of £1.5m on a five-year contract,[24] rising to £5 million.[22] The transfer reunited Henry with former Walsall manager Dean Smith and the fee made him the Bees' record transfer fee paid for a teenager.[24] He underwent surgery on the dislocated shoulder on 8 September and after returning to fitness, he made his first Brentford appearance on 21 February 2017,[25] with a start in a 2–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.[26] He immediately replaced Tom Field as head coach Dean Smith's first-choice left-back and made 12 appearances before his season was ended by a knee injury suffered in training in early May 2017.[26][27]

Henry returned fit for the start of the 2017–18 season,[28] but his season was ended on his eighth appearance by an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in a 2–2 draw with Middlesbrough on 30 September 2017,[9] which required surgery.[29] Henry returned to full-contact training in October 2018 and on 24 November,[30] he made his first appearance for nearly 14 months, coincidentally against Middlesbrough, with a late substitute appearance in a 2–1 defeat.[31] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Stoke City on 12 January 2019 and his performances throughout the month led to his nomination for the PFA Fans' Player of the Month award.[32] A foot injury suffered in February saw Henry miss two months of the season and he finished an injury-affected campaign with 16 appearances and one goal.[31][33]

Henry began the 2019–20 season fully fit and signed a new four-year contract in August 2019.[34] He made a career-high 51 appearances during the season, which culminated in defeat in the 2020 Championship play-off final.[35] By the time Henry's 2020–21 season was disrupted by a torn hamstring suffered in February 2021,[9] he had appeared in all but one league match so far during the campaign.[36] Henry returned for the end-of-season playoffs, but after making a substitute cameo in the semi-final first leg versus AFC Bournemouth,[36] he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a meniscus tear.[9] In his absence, Brentford were promoted to the Premier League with victory in the 2021 Championship play-off final.[37] In recognition of his performances during the 2020–21 season, Henry was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.[38]

Henry began the 2021–22 Premier League season as an ever-present at left wing back and he scored in successive league matches in November 2021,[39] which doubled his goalscoring tally for the club.[23] In March 2022, Henry signed a new four-year contract, with the option of a further year and finished a mid-table 2021–22 season with 37 appearances and three goals.[39][40][41] He improved his appearance tally to 39 appearances in all competitions during the 2022–23 season.[42]

Henry started the 2023–24 as an ever-present in league matches, but he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his fifth appearance,[43][44] in a 1–0 defeat to Newcastle United on 16 September 2023.[45] He returned to full training in August 2024,[46] but a "minor setback" the following month put his return to full training back to 4 October 2024.[47][48]

International career

While an U12, Henry was a member of the England team that competed at the 2008 Danone Nations Cup.[6] On 10 November 2015, Henry received his first call-up to the England U19 squad for friendly matches against the Netherlands and Japan.[49] He won four caps at U19 level.[50] Henry was named in England's U20 squad for the 2017 Four Nations Tournament and appeared in all three matches as the Young Lions won the competition.[51] Henry was named in the England squad for the 2017 U20 World Cup, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.[52]

Style of play

Henry has been described as "a forward-thinking, modern-day full-back, with energy, pace and a keen defensive awareness".[53]

Personal life

Henry was born in Birmingham, West Midlands and watched both Aston Villa and Birmingham City as a youth.[7][54] He attended St George's Church of England Primary School and Lordswood Boys' School in Birmingham.[6]

Career statistics

As of match played 16 September 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Walsall 2014–15[12] League One 9 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 10 0
2015–16[16] League One 35 2 4 0 3 1 2[b] 0 44 3
2016–17[26] League One 2 0 — 1 0 0 0 3 0
Total 46 2 4 0 4 1 3 0 57 3
Brentford 2016–17[26] Championship 12 0 0 0 — — 12 0
2017–18[28] Championship 8 0 0 0 0 0 — 8 0
2018–19[31] Championship 14 1 2 0 0 0 — 16 1
2019–20[35] Championship 46 0 1 0 1 0 3[c] 0 51 0
2020–21[36] Championship 30 1 0 0 4 0 1[c] 0 35 1
2021–22[39] Premier League 34 3 1 0 2 0 — 37 3
2022–23[42] Premier League 37 0 1 0 1 0 — 39 0
2023–24[45] Premier League 5 0 0 0 0 0 — 5 0
Total 186 5 5 0 8 0 4 0 203 5
Career total 232 7 9 0 12 1 7 0 260 8
  1. ^ Appearance in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in League One play-offs
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Championship play-offs

Honours

England U20

  • Four Nations Tournament: 2017[51]

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Rico Antonio Henry". L'Union (in French). Rossel La Voix. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Rico Henry". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Rico Henry". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Rico Henry". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  5. ^ @BrentfordFC (19 August 2023). "A 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th Bees appearance for @ricohenry14 today 🙌" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b c Clarke, Roger (2 September 2008). "Schoolboy Rico Henry has the world at his feet". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b Marshall, Sam. "Rico Henry: Mr. Consistent". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b Brett, Ciaran (31 August 2016). "Get to know: Rico Henry". Brentford F.C. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d Weinfuss, Josh (9 September 2021). "Henry's long, painful road to the Premier League reflected in Brentford's promotion journey". ESPN. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  10. ^ "PRO DEAL FOR TALENTED YOUNGSTER". Walsall F.C. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Rico Henry Player Profile". ESPN FC. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d "Games played by Rico Henry in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Rico Henry's Walsall injury fate to be revealed today". Express & Star. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  14. ^ Poole, Andrew. "NEW DEAL FOR RISING STAR". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  15. ^ a b Poole, Andrew. "HOORAY FOR HENRY". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Games played by Rico Henry in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  17. ^ Briggs, Daniel. "Rico Henry Signs New Contract". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Walsall results for the 2015–2016 season". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  19. ^ a b Briggs, Daniel. "Rico Henry – Football League Young Player of the Month". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Leeds United's Lewis Cook named Football League Young Player of the Year". The Football League. 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  21. ^ a b "PFA awards: Leicester and Spurs dominate Premier League team". BBC Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  22. ^ a b Moon, Dale. "CLUB STATEMENT: RICO HENRY". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  23. ^ a b Rico Henry at Soccerbase Edit this at Wikidata
  24. ^ a b "Brentford sign England Youth International Rico Henry from Walsall on a five-year contract". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  25. ^ "Brentford defender Rico Henry undergoes shoulder surgery". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d "Games played by Rico Henry in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  27. ^ "Colin and Woods battling to be fit for Blackburn clash –". TEAMtalk. Planet Sport Publishing. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Games played by Rico Henry in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Rico Henry undergoes surgery on knee injury". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  30. ^ "Head of Medical Neil Greig provides an injury update". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  31. ^ a b c "Games played by Rico Henry in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Benrahma and Henry nominated for PFA Player of the Month". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  33. ^ "We could have taken all three points". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  34. ^ "Rico Henry signs new Brentford contract". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Games played by Rico Henry in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  36. ^ a b c "Games played by Rico Henry in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  37. ^ Vincent, Gareth (29 May 2021). "Brentford 2–0 Swansea City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Bees trio voted into PFA Team of the Year". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  39. ^ a b c "Games played by Rico Henry in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  40. ^ "Rico Henry signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  41. ^ Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  42. ^ a b "Games played by Rico Henry in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  43. ^ "Henry suffers knee injury". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  44. ^ Harris, Jay. "Brentford's transfer window: The Toney situation and defensive needs". The Athletic. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Games played by Rico Henry in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  46. ^ "Frank 'emotional' as Henry closes in on Brentford return". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  47. ^ "Frank issues injury update on Ajer, Henry and Jensen". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  48. ^ "Injury update: Wissa, Nørgaard and Henry". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  49. ^ "Walsall's Rico Henry called up to England under-19 squad". Express & Star. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  50. ^ "England Matches – Under-19's 2010–20". England Football Online. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  51. ^ a b Brett, Ciaran. "Brentford defender Rico Henry plays as England win Four Nations Tournament". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  52. ^ "Brentford FC Rico Henry withdrawn from England U20s with injury". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  53. ^ Miller, Nick (26 December 2020). "EFL transfer targets: Rico Henry, the Brentford full-back wise beyond his years". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  54. ^ "Rico Henry: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
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