Henry's golden chance to show coaching truly is his second calling

France team hasbeen built from scratch by goalscoring legend who adds the stardust to today’s final with Spain

- Jonathan Liew

It was Thierry Henry's eldest daughter who ended his playing career. Téa was nine years old and one day in their New York home she tapped him and said: "You're it." Henry wanted to chase after her, but couldn't. The pain in his left and right achilles was simply too acute and agonising. Henry, by then a largely totemic striker for the New York Red Bulls, retired soon after.

So there was an emotional moment at the end of France's comeback win in the semi-final against Egypt in Lyon on Monday. As Jean-Philippe Mateta put France 2-1 up in extra time, Henry turned to the stands, spread both arms and gazed up at the stands in a reverential, almost religious, ecstasy. Afterwards, video emerged of Henry dancing jubilantly with his players in the tunnel.

As it turned out, there was more to this victory than the victory. Henry now has four children and three of them never got to see him play. "I never had my kids at a stadium watching me with my team, because when I got my kids I was almost at the end of my career," he said. "So having them around is something I never felt before."

Men's football has always been a slightly uneasy fit with the Olympics, a relative sideshow alongside the white heat of the Games proper. Enter: perhaps the most famous living French athlete taking his team to Paris for a gold medal.