Legends of club football – Thierry Henry

Last season, in the month of January, Arsenal took on Leeds United in the League Cup encounter. After a frustrating first half, tied at 0-0, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger signalled for a substitution. The crowd roared as the bald and bearded man entered the pitch, replacing a misfiring Marouane Chamakh. Exactly 10 minutes later, it happened.

Alex Song had possession in front of the opposition box. He looked up, spotted the man and pulled out his through pass for the man on the wide-left of the opposition box. The number 12 made his run behind the two defenders, got to the ball and went on his usual business. He opened his body, leaned to his left, transferring almost all of his weight to one foot and curled in the ball to the bottom corner past the diving goalkeeper. The 34 year-old stretched his arms, ran past the corner flag while the crowd, his fellow players and the boss went berserk to celebrate the goal. It wasn’t just a goal, that’s how Thierry Henry turned the clock back and stamped his return to Arsenal. It was an ideal script and the hero delivered the perfect lines.

Thierry Henry and Arsenal have lived a fairy tale. Not many real life stories unfold as perfectly as the one between the French maestro and the North London club. Since his arrival from Juventus, he has created stories that have carved a special place in every Gooner’s heart and a whole generation was inspired to support the Gunners, thanks to the then number 14.

When Arsene Wenger signed this lanky winger from Juventus, not many were sure about his success in the Premier League, and the doubts weren’t unwarranted. Playing in the wings, he struggled to live up to the reputation that he created during his Monaco days. However, it wasn’t entirely his fault that he couldn’t perform at his best wearing the black and white stripes. He played out of position, was pitted against the best Italian defences and the ambiance at Turin was starkly different from that of a laid back Monaco. The expectations were higher and the fans were less forgiving.