Now it's official: Titi is leaving the building he built.
After weeks, if not months, of speculation, Thierry Henryannounced on Monday morning that he will not return to the New York Red Bulls in 2015.
"I am taking this opportunity to announce that unfortunately Saturday was my last game for the New York Red Bulls," Henry wrote on his Facebook page. "The decision has always been that I would leave after the duration of my contract and although that was never going to change, I didn't want it to distract from the progress of the team."
The Red Bulls bowed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by AT&T, on Saturday, after a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship meant they had lost the series 4-3 on aggregate.
Henry joined the Red Bulls midway through the 2010 season just a few months after the opening of the state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena. After starring for EPL side Arsenal and Spanish side Barcelona through most of the 2000s, Henry had an immediate impact on the fortunes of his new club.
In four and a half seasons at Red Bull Arena, Henry made 122 regular-season appearances, scored 51 goals, and posted 42 assists. He scored 10-plus goals in four straight season, and leaves the club second all-time in goals and the career leader in assists.
He also made 13 MLS Cup Playoff appearances, finishing with one goal and seven assists, including five assists in this year's run to the Conference Championships.
"Thierry Henry, an icon of the world's game, has been a wonderful player for the New York Red Bulls and a major influence on the development of MLS," said New York Red Bulls Sporting Director Andy Roxburgh said in a statement from the club. "It has been a privilege to have watched Thierry's illustrious career unfold since he was 17 years old, and it has been a particular joy to watch him, at close quarters, lead the New York Red Bulls."
Henry's individual success mirrored the club's team success over the past half decade. After missing the postseason the year before Henry arrived, the Red Bulls reached the playoffs all five seasons since. Henry's contributions also helped the Red Bulls to their first major trophy -- the 2013 Supporters' Shield -- and lifted the profile of the club both in New York City and around the globe.
Despite his age -- he is now 37 years old -- Henry has remained capable of the sublime throughout his New York stint. He struck several memorable goals over the years, including an Olimpico goal in September 2012, a stunning bicycle-kick goal in May 2013, and this long-range rocket from earlier this season that was a finalist for the AT&T Goal of the Year.
Known for his fierce competitiveness, Henry was an enigmatic, sometimes polarizing, figure in New York. His obvious talent and ability to raise the level of the Red Bulls was sometimes at odds with his aloof demeanor and unrelenting pursuit of success. On the field, he could perform magic but also had a pentient for showing his exasperation with his teammates. His relationship with the media was at times playful and testy, such as his curt remarks to the press after the Red Bulls' loss to the Revolution this past weekend.
Yet, through it all, Henry was clearly devoted to the New York club, its fans, and its city. He famously tattooed New York City iconography on both his arms in 2013.
"A special mention must go to the Red Bull fans who have supported this team through the good, the bad and the ugly times in the sun, rain and snow," Henry wrote. "You guys have really meant a lot to me and thank you for all your wonderful support."
No word yet on Henry's plans for the future. Reports out of England have claimed he will return to Arsenal in some capacity. The cover image on his Facebook page was changed on Monday morning from a picture of him in a Red Bulls jersey to a shot of his statue outside of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Also, over the weekend, Willy Sagnol, manager at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, opened the door to a coaching role at the club.
Regardless of his next move, Henry undoubtedly leaves New York a club legend and one of the most revered players in MLS history.
