Arsenal legend Thierry Henry guided France to win the silver medal at the Olympics in the summer.
His former teammate at Arsenal, Sylvain Wiltord, has been speaking to Nice-Matin, and said he’s pleased to see Henry succeeding in his coaching career.
They first asked Wiltord about his role as a ‘professeur de padel’, meaning a qualified padel trainer. He explained what led him to take up padel as a sport.
“I’ve always loved tennis, I used to play a lot, but I had to stop because of a wrist injury. I discovered padel, where the racket is a little lighter,” he said.
“I set myself a little challenge when I took the diploma. I teach a little and enjoy it. It’s an extraordinary sport. We’re still behind the Spanish-speaking countries, but we’re going to catch up.”
Wiltord was at Arsenal between 2000 and 2004 and was part of the Gunners’ Invincibles squad. The Frenchman managed 49 goals and 30 assists from 174 matches for the north London club.
Arsène Wenger was in charge at the Premier League side when Wiltord arrived at the club from Bordeaux in August 2000. A month before that, Wiltord played a crucial role in helping France win the Euros.
In the Euro 2000 final against Italy, Wiltord came off the bench to score the equaliser in the 94th minute. The outcome of the tie was decided by David Trezeguet’s golden goal.
When asked how that goal changed his life, Wiltord explained: “I keep hearing about it and it’s a pleasure. It was an extraordinary moment for me, my friends and the France squad. It changed my life and my career.
“I was able to continue at Arsenal, get advertising contracts… It was my moment of glory. There weren’t many of them.”
“Yes, it’s true, I scored for Arsenal against Manchester United, and we became champions of England [in 2002]. We also took Rennes up to Ligue 1 with a group of young players. Then there were the Lyon titles… Those were magical moments that I’m very proud of too!”
