Henrique is a Brazilian left-back, who signed for Olympique Lyonnais in summer 2021, aged 27. He arrived on a free transfer from Vasco da Gama, in his native Rio de Janeiro, with whom he had spent his entire career since joining them as a schoolboy. He signed a three year contract with Lyon, tying him to the club until summer 2024.
He had a solid, if unspectacular career with Vasco, making almost two hundred appearances for the club following his debut in 2013, and scoring only one goal, in a Copa do Brasil match away at Goias in 2020. He has yet to represent Brazil at international level, but he did make a couple of appearances for their Under-20 team. His only career honours to date are a pair of Carioca state championship titles picked up with Vasco in 2015 and 2016.
Henrique was rarely used by manager Peter Bosz during the first few months of his time with Lyon, but he broke into the first team after Christmas 2021 and was a regular feature in the starting line-up in the second half of the season. He went on to make 18 Ligue 1 appearances in all, including twelve as a starter and six off the bench.
He was competing with Emerson for playing time during the 2021-22 season, and may have expected to finally get the chance to cement his place in the team when the Italian international’s loan deal came to an end and he returned to his parent club, Chelsea, in the summer.
However, the club went out and signed Argentina international left-back Nicolás Tagliafico from Ajax during that same transfer window and, with Henrique suspended for the opening match of the 2022-23 campaign, the Argentine got an immediate chance to stake a claim for a first team slot.
It looks as though Henrique may have to spend yet more time as an understudy this season. Perhaps Bosz doesn’t quite have full confidence in him as a starter, but he’s shown that he can be a more than competent back-up or reserve option on the left side of defence and is a useful squad player to have around.
Date of Birth: 25/04/1994
Place of Birth: Rio de Janeiro
Nationality: Brazilian
Joined OL: 01/07/2021
Previous teams:
Vasco da Gama (2003-21)