After a premature retirement at the end of last season – aged just 32 – Henri Lansbury has undertaken perhaps the most wholesome post-playing venture you are likely to have come across.
Who Did Henri Lansbury Play For?
Henri Lansbury endeared himself to the Arsenal fanbase at a young age, rising through the ranks at Hale End from age nine, right the way up into the first team in 2007.
His crowing moment in an Arsenal shirt came in September 2010, less than a year after committing to a long-term contract to which Arsene Wenger declared Lansbury would become a “big player.”
Within the first quarter of an hour on his first ever North London derby appearance, he slotted home the opener in a third round League Cup tie – a memory he still cherishes to this day by the looks of his Instagram page, where he posted a replay of the goal ahead of September’s meeting between the two.
Breaking into a team that at the time, boasted the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere, was always going to prove an uphill battle and a succession of loan deals as a teenager failed to boost his credentials.
Between, 2009 and 2012, he featured for Scunthorpe United, Watford, Norwich and West Ham – impressing most with the Hornets after netting five in 37 appearances.
Latterly, he spent the next decade or so in the Championship, playing for Aston Villa, Bristol City, Luton and Nottingham Forest – where he found a true home for four years.
Why Did Henri Lansbury Retire?
Although not a direct cause of his early retirement, Henri Lansbury revealed he had battled with testicular cancer whilst at Forest in 2016.
He described the ordeal as “mentally draining” in a courageous interview upon his retirement last year, but subsequent spells at Villa, Bristol and Luton shows the type of battle-hardened player he was.
After lending a helping hand in Luton’s miraculous promotion to the Premier League, he was forced to retire with an unrelated thigh injury that had plagued him for much of his career.
What Does Henri Lansbury Do Now He is Retired?
The self-professed “Lawn Lad,” as his Instagram username reads, found a passion for lawncare after bringing the curtain down on his career.
What began as a lockdown side project, after he was left disappointed with the job his gardener had done on his lawn, has now turned into a full-time profession.
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He is the proud owner of organic fertiliser company Grass Gains, which has proved hugely successful since launching. High-profile teams across Europe including Fulham, Monaco and Genk using it to treat their pitches.
Along with glowing testimonials from the likes of Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, Henry ‘Lawnsbury’ as he is affectionally known, has proven there is a simple life to be had beyond the hurly-burly of professional football.
Lansbury has expressed his desire to eventually return to Arsenal in a groundsman capacity, with aspirations to mow the pitch at the Emirates.
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