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Thierry Daniel Henry joined Arsenal from Juventus on 3rd August 1999 for an estimated fee of 11 million pounds. Although his transfer was not without controversy; Wenger was convinced he was worth every penn and in the end, “Le Professeur” was proved right! At Arsenal , Henry found his best form and made his name among the top footballers around the globe. During his time at Arsenal he became their all-time leading goal scorer with 228 goals.
The Frenchman won almost every possible honor in English football which included 2 Premier League titles and 3 FA Cups. He was among the nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year on two occasions. He was crowned the PFA Players’ Player of the Year two times and the FWA Footballer of the Year thrice. His contribution to the team was rewarded with club captaincy in his last two seasons Undoubtedly the biggest player to have ever played for the Gunners, ever.
Henry at arsenal
Appearances | Goals | Assists |
378 | 228 | 93 |
But at a time when Arsenal would have needed him the most he decided to part ways. In his last two seasons at Arsenal, Henry lead his team to the Finals of 2006 UEFA Champions League and finished among top three of EPL, which was not a small feat for the team. At this moment the team needed a mentor, a figure for young players to look up to.
The likes of Fabregas, van Persie, Song, Walcott and Adebayor; Arsenal had an excess amount of formidable young talent. They all would turn out to be world-class players. The only thing that Gunners would not have in the post Henry era is the winning mentality. Season after season they would choke at important moments of the campaign which would be related to their lack of experience. Players would get frustrated and eventually leave for greener pastures, frustrating the fans even more.
Obviously we understand that Henry had bigger plans to play for one of the best teams in Europe, but he left a team which was not far behind. Arsenal were 2nd best in Europe the previous season and would continuously push for European glory every year. They were among the best in English football considered to be the toughest league in the world. He was loved and worshipped in the stands of the Emirates but he could never reach those heights at Camp Nou.
He arrived at Barcelona hoping to recreate the same magic for which he was famous. But this was a different ball game altogether. At Barca he was never the main man. The likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Eto’o ruled the pitch and he had to take up a more supporting role. Henry was mostly deployed on the wing throughout his time at the Camp Nou, which caught him outside his comfort zone. With Ibrahimovic coming in and Pedro pushing for a place in starting eleven, his playing time as well his scoring diminished at Barca and he eventually left the club in the summer of 2010.
Henry at Barcelona
Appearances | Goals | Assists |
121 | 49 | 26 |
Players like Gerrard, Giggs, Zanetti and Del Peiro helped in the development of young players and passed on the baton with ease. The team always had an aura of experience around them and could draw inspiration from what these players had achieved time and again. Henry could have been in the same league as well!
He left the Gunners at the time when he could have turned out to be their savior. Arsene always lacked a motivational figure in his team. The team had talent but they lacked Henry’s experience and composure to steer the team from being challengers to winners. He was among the few players left at Arsenal who had seen the glory days and could have, possibly brought them back. He was the spearhead of the team which had gone unbeaten for a complete season.
No doubt that he still remains an Arsenal legend, may be the best of the best, but he could have been much more if he had decided to nurture his team. The team wanted more from the man when he decided to move on. He himself admits that he might have made a mistake leaving Arsenal, which is visible in his constant desire to return to Emirates every season.
His statue in Bronze at the Emirates reminds us about his contribution to the team as a player, but there could have been much more Silver in the shelves, if he had contributed more as a mentor.
