Rhys Healey, the English striker who spent four seasons scoring goals for Toulouse FC, returned to the club's Stadium on Saturday, August 22, 2026, not as a player but as a spectator, and the crowd gave him a hero's welcome.
Healey watched from the presidential tribune as Toulouse, known to their supporters as the Violets, lost 0-2 at home to Olympique Lyonnais in the opening match of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season.
Screen appearances draw applause from the crowd
News of Healey's presence in Toulouse, often nicknamed the Pink City, had circulated a few hours before kickoff, but the Manchester-born forward tried to keep a low profile. The stadium's camera director had other ideas, cutting to him three times on the giant screens.
Each appearance, despite his visibly embarrassed smile, set off a wave of applause from the 26,030 supporters inside the Stadium. The Virage Brice Taton, the stand that houses Toulouse's most vocal fans, went further and struck up the chant written in his honour: "Healey's on fire, your defence is terrified."
Barthez also among the crowd
Healey was not the only notable face in the stands. Fabien Barthez, a World Cup-winning former France goalkeeper who now works as the national team's goalkeeping coach, was also at the Stadium to watch Toulouse take on Lyon, according to a post from the club on X.
Supporters call for his return
Under a post published by Toulouse FC on X, several fans argued the club should bring Healey back. One supporter wrote that he was a free agent and that they were certain he could still score goals over a season. Another suggested the club try him out to see whether he was still in shape, adding that if it worked it would make an incredible story, with 25,000 spectators turning up to every match.
A difficult few years since leaving Toulouse
Healey made 77 appearances for Toulouse and scored 39 goals during his time at the club. He left on a free transfer to Watford when his contract expired in 2023, and has struggled since to rediscover the form that made him the top scorer in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football, with 20 goals in the 2021-2022 season.
His subsequent spells at Huddersfield Town and Barrow yielded little, and he has played just 408 minutes of football over the past two years. Now 31 and without a club, he has joined the PFA, the players' union for English football and the equivalent of France's UNFP. The path back to being the kind of forward who regularly troubled opposing defences still looks long.
