The second player to be featured in our premier league hall of fame series is the Arsenal Legend and cult hero, Thierry Henry. The French man arrived from Juventus in the summer of 1999 has he linked up with his former coach from Monaco, Arsene Wenger. Wenger turned the young winger into a striker and the rest was history.
Henry had a bright start to his professional career under the tutelage of the man known as the professor of football, Arsene Wenger. Wenger believed that Henry would be more effective on the wing due to his electric pace and outstanding ball control which would cause more harm for full-backs rather than centre backs.
After making his professional debut for Monaco in 1994, Henry went on to be named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996 and helped Monaco to clinch the Ligue 1 title at the end of the 1996/97 season. The next season, he went on to register impressive performances in the champions league by scoring seven goals and leading them to the semi-finals.
He went on to make his debut for Les Bleus and represented his country at the 1998 World Cup which they won on home soil. In January 1999, he made a shocking move to Juventus alongside his compatriot David Trezeguet. Unlike Trezeguet, Henry was unable to provide a goal scoring threat as he spent most of his playing time on the wing.
He then made another controversial move to Arsenal later in August of 1999 as he was reunited with Arsene Wenger. Henry was able to link up well with different strike partners such as Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes and Emmanuel Adebayor.
Henry’s understanding of the game made him stand out as well as having the ability to compliment teammates such as Patrick Viera, Robert Pires, and Freddie Ljungberg. He grew in strength as he developed in the League. He was not just a goal scorer but he also provided assists for teammates and provided key passes that lead to breakthroughs.
Henry was a member of the famous 2003/2004 invincible team who went unbeaten the whole Premier League season. Henry’s outstanding goal scoring record earned him plaudits from the football world. He also won several individuals and team awards. Henry also broke records and set new ones before leaving arsenal in 2007 although he returned for a short stint in 2012.
Henry holds the record of being Arsenal’s all-time goal scorer with 288 goals. He also has the most goals for the French National team with 51 goals. He holds the record for the most goals and assists in a season as he registered 20 assists and 20 plus goals in the 2002/2003 season. He holds records across the European continent, France, England, Arsenal, and the Premier League.
He won four major trophies at Arsenal and finished in the runner up position in the 2006 Champions League final. He went on to win the Champions League with Barcelona and won 6 other major trophies with the Catalan giants. He went on to end his career in the MLS with the New York Red Bulls.
Henry entertained Premier League fans around the world with his dazzling runs and unique technique of scoring goals as well as his enigmatic celebrations. He is one of the best foreign players to ever grace the Premier League and he is one of the record goal scorers in the Premier League. A spot in the Premier League hall of fame is surely guaranteed for the king.
