Rico Henry

Walsall

After a spell with Cadbury Athletic and failing a trial with Aston Villa, Henry joined Walsall at age 11 and at age 14 he was converted from a central midfielder to a left back. He progressed through the youth ranks to make his first non-competitive senior appearance for the club shortly after his 16th birthday, in a pre-season friendly versus Leeds United in July 2013. One year later, he signed his first professional contract after impressing for the club's youth team. Henry received his maiden calls into the first team squad for two League One matches in September and October 2014 respectively, before making his competitive debut with a start in a Football League Trophy northern area semi-final shootout win over Tranmere Rovers on 9 December. He made his league debut four days later, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3–1 victory over Barnsley. Henry made eight further appearances during the 2014–15 season, but his progress was disrupted by a dislocated shoulder. He signed a two-year contract extension in April 2015 and was named as Walsall's Young Player of the Year. Henry broke into the starting line-up on a full-time basis during the 2015–16 season. He had a successful season, making 44 appearances, scoring three goals, signing a new three-year contract and winning England youth international recognition. Walsall consistently challenged for promotion during the season and finished in third position to qualify for a place in the 2016 League One play-offs,…

Born in England, Henry is of Jamaican descent. While an U12, he was a member of the England team that competed at the 2008 Danone Nations Cup. On 10 November 2015, Henry received his first call-up to the England U19 squad for friendly matches against the Netherlands and Japan. He won four caps at U19 level. Henry was named in England's U20 squad for the 2017 Four Nations Tournament and appeared in all three matches as the Young Lions won the competition. Henry was named in the England squad for the 2017 U20 World Cup, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Henry switched his allegiance to Jamaica in 2025. In November of that year, Henry was named in the Jamaica squad for two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Curaçao. He made his debut on 13 November 2025 in a 1–1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago, just two days after receiving his Jamaican passport.

Henry has been described as "a forward-thinking, modern-day full-back, with energy, pace and a keen defensive awareness".

Henry was born in Birmingham, West Midlands and watched both Aston Villa and Birmingham City as a youth. He attended St George's Church of England Primary School and Lordswood Boys' School in Birmingham.