London, Dec 19 : French football player Thierry Henry says had it not been for his parents bringing him up in a strict manner, he would have ended on the streets.

Henry, who has a daughter with his ex-wife Nicole Merry, said that had it not been for his parents stopping him from going out and joining other kids on the streets, he would have landed in jail by now.

"Talking about other things, the city, my roots, what I think, that is how you can get to know a man," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"I was born in Les Ulis, a suburb a few kilometres from Paris. I learnt many things on the streets. If I could choose I would relive everything I lived there.

"I am who I am thanks to my father. I saw very hard things in my childhood but fortunately I had parents that were very straight.

"I couldn't understand why my friends could go out at night. I could see them from the window. It frustrated me.

"While they were having fun outside I was asking my mother why I couldn't go out. It hurt a lot.

"Almost all of my friends from that time are now in prison. It wasn't easy to get out of that life.

"If you're a father you have to be hard in a suburb like that.

"Our suburb was complicated but not a slum.

"There are many youngsters who don't listen to their parents, and that is a problem. My parents were very hard and that's why I was able to get ahead," he added. (ANI)