Thank you, Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry. A legend in everyone’s eyes. Whether you’re a Gooner or not, you cannot deny that Henry is one of the best to live on this planet. Some may say Ronaldo, Messi, Rooney but for me, it has always been Henry. Even though he’s 35 now, he still produces amazing performances. The Frenchman only performed for club but used to perform well for his country too, scoring 51 times for France.

Henry started his club career at Monaco in 1994. It was there that he first met his future manager Wenger. Wenger recognized Henry’s talent immediately. He knew he should’ve played him as a striker but played him on the left wing instead, thinking that his pace and dribbling skills would help beat the defenders easily.

He played there for five years before he shifted to Juventus in 1999. He didn’t have a long spell at Juventus and once again returned to the arms of Arsene Wenger when he was signed by Arsenal for £11 million in 1999. Henry was once again reunited with Wenger at Arsenal. Henry was brought in as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka. Wenger then made Henry a complete striker. Henry then finished his first season a the club with 26 goals to his name, silencing all the critics. It was at Arsenal that he became the legend that he is today. Henry finished his second season with a less impressive 22 goal tally but he certainly was in Arsene’s plan for the future. In the 2003-2004 season, better known as the Invincibles season, Henry bagged his highest goal tally for Arsenal, scoring 39 goals. It was then that everyone recognized Thierry as the best striker in the world. He didn’t get four Golden Boots for nothing.

Some say Henry had arrogance about him but to be fair, which player didn’t? Ronaldinho did. Ronaldo did. Cristiano Ronaldo does. Pele did. Maradona did. Even Zidane did. If you’re as world class as that, you deserve arrogance. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is extremely arrogant but does he deserve the right to be so? Absolutely. And same is the case with Henry. He might be arrogant but he fully deserves to be.

Henry had a certain flair about him. He introduced a lot of skills into the world of football. The feints, the skills, the dribbles, the tireless runs. He has outwitted the best of the best and he has finished almost every chance he got. Even defenders hail Henry as one of the toughest they’ve ever faced. He’s agile, athletic, has a great physique, fast and had an amazing shot. He wasn’t well known for his free kicks but whenever he stepped up to take one, not one goalkeeper in the world felt calm. He has beaten the best of the best. Henry has produced such amazing goals, it’s a really hard job to choose the best but for me it has to be the one he scored against Real Madrid, making Arsenal the first ever English team to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Running from his defensive third to the opposition’s and beating some world class players on the way and scoring against Iker Casillas is a very difficult task that only a few players have ever managed to do.

Henry’s return to Arsenal in January of 2012 was a legendary moment. Coming on as a substitute at the end of the match and scoring a goal that was clinical for Arsenal to progress in the FA Cup against Leeds United. It was an amazing goal and it just had to happen. And it was rightly said, “He may be cast in bronze but he is capable of producing truly golden moments.” He also scored twice later, one in the 7-1 thrashing against Blackburn and the other in a late stoppage time winner. There’s a reason why he has a special place in every Arsenal fan’s heart.

He is Thierry Henry.

He is the only Henry.

He is the King.