Adam David Henley (born 14 June 1994) is a Welsh-American professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League North club Chorley.
He can operate in both the right-back and striker slot. Born in Tennessee, USA to a Welsh mother and American father, he moved with his family when he was two years old to England, where he was raised.
Henley was born in Knoxville, Tennessee to a Welsh mother and an American father and moved with his family to Chorley in England when he was two years old. He attended Clayton-le-Woods Church of England Primary School, and St Michael's High School. Before joining the Blackburn Rovers Academy, Henley spent some time in the youth system of Manchester United.
A speedy full back who can play either on the right or the left, Henley quickly progressed from the Blackburn Rovers academy to become a regular member of the reserve squad.
Henley made his first appearance for the senior squad on 16 July 2011, coming on as a late substitute in their pre-season match against Accrington Stanley. He was also a part of the first team squad that traveled to Hong Kong to play in the 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy.
On 19 November, Henley made his professional – and Premier League – debut, replacing Míchel Salgado and playing the entire second half in a 3–3 draw against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. On 26 December, Henley earned his first start and played the full 90 minutes against Liverpool at Anfield, which finished in a 1–1 draw. Four days later, Henley signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal, his first professional contract at Rovers.
He was involved in one of the most remarkable results of the 2011–12 season on 31 December 2011, playing the full 90 minutes at left back in a 3–2 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Henley helped set up the corner that Blackburn got their winner off as they beat Manchester United for the first time since 2005 at Old Trafford.
At the start of the 2012–13 season, Henley's first team opportunities became more limited under manager Steve Kean; Bradley Orr took his position in the right back. Kean left the club and was replaced by former player Henning Berg. Under Berg, Henley received playing opportunities in the right back position. On 7 December 2012, Henley signed a new deal, keeping him until 2017. Shortly after signing a new contract, Henley revealed he was close to leaving Blackburn Rovers on loan before his first-team return. Henley scored his first goal for Blackburn in a 2–1 win at Sheffield Wednesday on 4 March 2015.
Henley was qualified to play for Wales, England or the United States internationally. Henley was capped by Wales up to U21 level. He was named in the Wales squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Cyprus and Israel to be played on 3 and 6 September 2015. Henley made his full debut for Wales in the friendly match versus the Netherlands on 13 November 2015.
2011-2017 |
2018-2019 |
2019-2020 |