Whenever Arsenal acquire a new player – especially in the Gen Z age group – they talk about the influence Thierry Henry had in their lives growing up. They even cite him as one of the reasons for wanting to don the Arsenal colours. This appeal has been a precious resource for the club in an era where the quality of football itself does not carry it.

Thierry Henry is one of the most celebrated strikers of all time. Signing for Arsenal in 1999, Henry was part of Arsene Wenger’s team that won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups. He also became Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer with 288 goals, winning the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times in the process. His start to life in England was marred by criticism when failed to score in his first 8 games. Henry even talked about having to relearn ‘everything about the art of striking.’ By the end of the season, however, he had scored 26 goals leading Arsenal to second and narrowly missing out on the title to Manchester United. Until Leo Messi in 2020, Henry was the only person to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a season, a record he set 2002-03 season. Henry spent his last two years at Arsenal as club captain, following the unexpected departure of Patrick Vieira. His accolades are numerous: 2x PFA Players’ Player of the Year, 3x FWA Footballer of The Year, runner-up for Ballon D’Or 2003 & FIFA World Player of the Year 2004, 6x PFA Team of the Year, 5x UEFA Team of the Year. He was also the first inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame, along with Alan Shearer. Thierry Henry has been honoured at The Emirates stadium with a bronze statue of his iconic celebration against Tottenham Hotspur in 2002. It was unveiled in December 2011 as part of the club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations. Henry also had a stellar career with the French national team. He was part of the World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000 winning teams. In 2007, he became his country’s all-time top scorer with his 42nd goal