Thierry Henry's 11 million euros apartment

It must be a tough life being Thierry Henry, an almost past-his-best great footballer most recently known for that infamous "helping hand" goal and, in spite of high hopes from many, his failure to say anything of any consequence about the French team's dismal performance at this year's World Cup in South Africa.

Screenshot of Thierry Henry during a TV interview after the 2010 World Cup

Those events are all behind him now as is the glory of his participation France's 1998 World Cup winning side, successful spells with some of Europe's leading clubs sides and a glittering career with Les Bleus that saw him become the country's top goal scorer in international matches.

At 33, "Titi" as he's still affectionately referred to by many in this country, hasn't exactly hung up his boots.

But he has in a way gone to pastures new and definitely green, in the shape of the good ol' US of A, where many a great before him has bolstered up early retirement with a handsome payout in a league which of course is "far from being a vacation".

In July this year Henry left one of Europe's top clubs, Barcelona, and signed for the New York Red Bulls, not for the money of course but for (in his words) the "honour of playing" for the team and helping them "win their first (Major League Soccer) championship."

And as is befitting a top quality player on a "modest" ($5.6 million or €4.1 million for this season) income albeit one that is not subject to the League's salary cap as he's one of the club's designated players, Henry has reportedly bought himself a humble little penthouse apartment in one of Manhattans' most chichi areas.

Described as "a triplex apartment on SoHo's Crosby Street" by the Wall Street Journal, Henry's new home includes "a media room with an integrated wet bar and 72" built-in flat screen TV" - obviously just what anyone needs after a hard day pounding the turf and earning the dollars.

The cost? A mere snip at $14.85 or €11.1 - million that is.

If you'd like to see the obvious squalor to which Henry will be subjected, then take a trip along to the Huffington Post to check out the photographs that appeared on the estate agency's listings....before it was sold.

Happy dreams!