Henry considered quitting France

Paris: Thierry Henry considered ending his France career over the uproar that surrounded the striker's blatant handball in last week's World Cup playoff victory over Ireland.

"Oh yes," the France captain was quoted as saying when asked whether retiring from international soccer had crossed his mind.

"Friday, when it all went too far, I was very worked up," he added.

Henry has been under fire since handling the ball in the build-up to William Gallas' equaliser that gave France a 1-1 draw on Wednesday and a 2-1 aggregate win.

"It's not the first time [that I thought about retiring]," Henry added.

"After the 2006 World Cup, I thought about it, but it was too early. After Euro 2008, too, but it wasn't the right moment. There was a generation that needed me.

"Despite everything that has just happened and the fact that I felt let down, I will not let my country down," he added.

Henry said he regretted the way he had celebrated the decisive goal.

"I shouldn't have done that but, frankly, it was uncontrollable, after all we had been through," he said. The 32-year-old Henry, who has scored a French record 51 goals from 117 internationals, blamed the French Football Federation for their lack of support. "The day after the match and the day after that, I felt alone, really alone," he said.

"It was only after I issued my statement that the people from the French Federation got in touch."

Support

Meanwhile, Manchester United's French international defender Patrice Evra has come out fighting in defence of teammate Thierry Henry, vilified for his handball in his country's World Cup qualifying win over Ireland.

Evra insists that Henry does not deserve to be slated.

"Titi [Henry] does not deserve this. Leave him in peace. Who made the mistake? The referee," Evra told L'Equipe sports.

Describing the clear handball as "an instinctive gesture" Evra added that Henry would have been vilified even more in his homeland had he gone to the referee and said the goal should be chalked off.