Stéphane Henchoz
Encyclopedia
Stéphane Henchoz is a former Swiss international
footballer who last played for Blackburn Rovers
as a defender
. He has been capped
72 times and played for his country at Euro 1996 and Euro 2004.
for Hamburger SV
. After signing for Blackburn Rovers
in 1997, Henchoz enjoyed two personally successful seasons in a relatively underperforming Rovers team. As Blackburn were relegated at the end of the 1998–99 season, Henchoz remained a Premiership player after being purchased for £3.5 million pounds by Liverpool
.
. This partnership played an important part in Liverpool's historic cup treble in 2001, although it was Henchoz's handball in the 90th minute of the League Cup
Final against Birmingham City
that led to extra time (the match itself was only settled on penalties). Henchoz also famously blocked a goalbound Thierry Henry shot with his arm in the 17th minute of that year's FA Cup
Final, contributing to Liverpool's victory in the match.
His last two seasons were interrupted due to spells of injury but he still surpassed the 200 mark of games for Liverpool in 2003–04.
With injury problems and Gerard Houllier preferring Igor Bišćan
at centre half, Henchoz became something of a bit part player appearing as an occasional right back. Eventually, the Henchoz-Hyypiä partnership was rekindled in 2003–04, helping Liverpool to fourth place in the league.
replaced Gérard Houllier
as manager, his decision to try versatile English defender Jamie Carragher
in partnership with Hyypiä spelled an end to Henchoz's Anfield
career. Carragher, previously employed as a full-back, was a revelation at centre back and Henchoz consequently joined Celtic
for free on a six-month contract. However, upon the expiration of that contract, Henchoz opted to move back to the Premiership with newly promoted Wigan Athletic
. Whilst at Wigan he started in the 2006 Football League Cup Final.
Henchoz left Wigan after only a year, signing a contract until the end of the 2006–07 season back with Blackburn Rovers. He was used sparingly during the season to fill in for injuries, but performed suitably.
His second spell at Blackburn Rovers
came to an end on 19 May, when he was released by Mark Hughes
. He was reported of ending his career on 13 October 2008, he now intends to study for his coaching badge.
International Career=
Henchoz played for Switzerland in UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2004. He was expected to play in the FIFA World Cup 2006, but due to health problems he retired on 31 March 2006.
|1992–93||rowspan="3"|Neuchâtel Xamax
||rowspan="3"|National League A
||35||0||||||||||||||||
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|1993–94||21||1||||||||||||||||
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|1994–95||35||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96||rowspan="2"|Hamburger SV
||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga
||31||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||18||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Blackburn Rovers
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||34||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="6"|Liverpool
||rowspan="6"|Premier League||29||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||32||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||37||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||19||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||18||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||0||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||Celtic
||Premier League
||6||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||Wigan Athletic
||Premier League||26||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="2"|Blackburn Rovers
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||12||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||0||0||||||||||||||||
91||1||||||||||||||||
49||2||||||||||||||||
243||0||||||||||||||||
6||0||||||||||||||||
389||3||||||||||||||||
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
footballer who last played for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
72 times and played for his country at Euro 1996 and Euro 2004.
Early career
Henchoz first came to notice playing in the German BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
for Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. After signing for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in 1997, Henchoz enjoyed two personally successful seasons in a relatively underperforming Rovers team. As Blackburn were relegated at the end of the 1998–99 season, Henchoz remained a Premiership player after being purchased for £3.5 million pounds by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Liverpool
At Liverpool, Henchoz became a regular member of the first team during his five-and-a-half year stay at Anfield. Henchoz proved to be an inspirational signing and was popular with the Liverpool fans. He formed an effective central defensive partnership with Sami HyypiäSami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
. This partnership played an important part in Liverpool's historic cup treble in 2001, although it was Henchoz's handball in the 90th minute of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
Final against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
that led to extra time (the match itself was only settled on penalties). Henchoz also famously blocked a goalbound Thierry Henry shot with his arm in the 17th minute of that year's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Final, contributing to Liverpool's victory in the match.
His last two seasons were interrupted due to spells of injury but he still surpassed the 200 mark of games for Liverpool in 2003–04.
With injury problems and Gerard Houllier preferring Igor Bišćan
Igor Bišcan
Igor Bišćan is a Croatian professional footballer, playing for Dinamo Zagreb. He also played for the English team Liverpool and Greek side Panathinaikos, also spending one-year loan at NK Samobor in his early career...
at centre half, Henchoz became something of a bit part player appearing as an occasional right back. Eventually, the Henchoz-Hyypiä partnership was rekindled in 2003–04, helping Liverpool to fourth place in the league.
Post-Liverpool
When Rafael BenítezRafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
replaced Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
as manager, his decision to try versatile English defender Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
in partnership with Hyypiä spelled an end to Henchoz's Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
career. Carragher, previously employed as a full-back, was a revelation at centre back and Henchoz consequently joined Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
for free on a six-month contract. However, upon the expiration of that contract, Henchoz opted to move back to the Premiership with newly promoted Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. Whilst at Wigan he started in the 2006 Football League Cup Final.
Henchoz left Wigan after only a year, signing a contract until the end of the 2006–07 season back with Blackburn Rovers. He was used sparingly during the season to fill in for injuries, but performed suitably.
His second spell at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
came to an end on 19 May, when he was released by Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
. He was reported of ending his career on 13 October 2008, he now intends to study for his coaching badge.
International Career=
Henchoz played for Switzerland in UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2004. He was expected to play in the FIFA World Cup 2006, but due to health problems he retired on 31 March 2006.
Career statistics
|-|1992–93||rowspan="3"|Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
||rowspan="3"|National League A
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
||35||0||||||||||||||||
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|1993–94||21||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95||35||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96||rowspan="2"|Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||31||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||18||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||36||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||34||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="6"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="6"|Premier League||29||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||32||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||37||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||19||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||18||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||0||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||6||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
||Premier League||26||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="2"|Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||12||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||0||0||||||||||||||||
91||1||||||||||||||||
49||2||||||||||||||||
243||0||||||||||||||||
6||0||||||||||||||||
389||3||||||||||||||||