Bristol’s risen Phoenix Gavin Henson is enjoying his revival

Gavin HensonThe one good thing about hitting rock bottom is that the only way is up – but as Gavin Henson can testify, the climb back is a lot slower than the free fall.
Rock bottom was in July 2009 for the Welsh centre who had rocketed to stardom in 2005 with a match-winning penalty against in the before becoming Wales' answer to David Beckham by marrying singing star Charlotte Church.
But a mixture of injuries and an over-exposed personal life proved too much to cope with and Henson walked away from the sport. It took him over a year to rid himself of the demons and rediscover the hunger to play rugby again.
Five years on, the 33-year-old is now spearheading Bristol's push for promotion and when meeting him at their RFC training base, it is obvious his troubles are behind him.
“Since I came back into the game it's definitely the happiest I've been,” he said. “I'm playing rugby and my personal life is sorted, too. I have my children Ruby and Dexter two or three nights a week and they take most of my time when I'm not playing or training. I'm always back and forth between Bristol and Wales but I love that side of my life.
“At the time I took the time out I was struggling physically, but mentally I was gone. I just couldn't take it anymore. Looking back I was pretty much depressed.
“It might not look this way, but I thought I dealt with my issues pretty well given the circumstance. When I took that time out I went ‘Wow so this is the world I live in'. Not having rugby to focus on helped me see different things and it made me mature.
“It's been a big roller coaster with highs and lows but I don't have any regrets on how things panned out. Saying that, trying to find my way back has been so hard though and I didn't help myself with off the field antics.”
Finding a club to make his return was not easy. Many coaches refused to take a gamble on a player more known for being a reality TV star after appearances in 71 Degrees North, The Bachelor and Strictly Come Dancing.
But decided to give him a chance in October 2010 despite Henson still being involved with the BBC show.
He eventually made his debut on Boxing Day against Wasps, but after only four games he was on the move, signing for Toulon to cover an injury crisis.
Gavin HensonIt all went well in the south of until an incident in a bar with a teammate saw him being sacked by owner Mourad Boudjellal just before the season ended.
His performances were enough to convince to include him in the 2011 World Cup training squad before injury struck and, as he instinctively holds his right wrist showing a four-inch scar, Henson admits rock bottom was not far off again.
“It was awesome to make the World Cup training squad in 2011,” he said. “It was going great until I snapped my wrist in the final warm-up game against England.
“It was a tough time and I was really down after that injury. I'd managed to work my way back in six months, so I was in a dark place again.
“I wasn't attached to a club and I was having to sort out my injury on my own. I couldn't move my wrist properly for a while and I thought that was it for me.
“Cardiff were keen to sign me regardless so I went there but it didn't work out either and I feel they messed me around. I found out it was the owner who wanted me rather than the coaches.
“I thought I was wanted but I wasn't playing and it culminated in that game in Glasgow. I was on the bench and we were losing heavily at half-time. I could see what was going wrong and thought I could sort it out coming on at fly-half. But I stayed on the bench until the last five minutes when they put me on the wing.
“I nearly had a Carlos Tevez moment where I refused to come on and I wish I had now. I played but my head went afterwards. I went straight to the bar and everyone knows what happen after that.”
Henson was sacked by Cardiff for his ‘drunken behaviour' on the plane home, but feels he was treated unfairly.
“Again, my behaviour wasn't that bad on the plane but because it was me and with my past it made the headlines. I've seen much worse during my career from other players but nothing happened to them.
“So I moved on again and went to London Welsh where I linked up with Lyn Jones who used to coach me at the . That's what got me back on tracks really.”
Gavin HensonSince then, apart from a bar altercation with Carl Fearns  when he joined which was sensationalised with pictures of Henson flat out on the floor, the Welsh star has kept his head down and is winning people over again.
He says: “I don't know if people have changed their perception but I think the Bristol fans like me and that was the same at Bath. At first they thought why have we signed a player like me but I think I quickly changed their mind and I get good feedback from the fans.
“The fans are the reason I play the game. I love entertaining the crowd and that's been the thing I love the most since I started playing for . That's always been a big driving factor.”
Regardless of what happens next, Henson has achieved what many players can only dream off. He has worn the Welsh jersey 34 times, won two Grand Slams and is a British and Irish Lion. On the club scene, he won the Celtic League with Ospreys plus the Anglo-Welsh cup.
Despite having been in the game for over 15 years, Henson believes he still has a few good years left in his legs – preferably with Bristol in the .
“I'm 33 and every year is a bonus really but I'm serious with my rugby again. I'm feeling good and really enjoying playing fly-half. I want to repay the faith Bristol have shown in me by helping them win promotion.
“I've got a more senior role now and I try to help the youngsters. I know the pitfalls of a rugby career. I've been there and done most of them to be fair so I try to give them perspective on things. It's a pretty young squad we have here and that helps to keep me young too.
“I'm in the best shape I've ever been and that's what gives me huge confidence in the fact that I can play for a lot longer.
“I still haven't played in a World Cup so I might have to push on to 2019 now. Nick Easter played last week aged 37 and Victor Matfield is 38, so who knows!
“I hope I can earn a new contract at Bristol but I treat every game as the last and that's a good mindset to have.”
NICK VERDIER

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