Thierry Henry: One of a Kind

The word legend is bandied around too much in sport, let alone football. Yet, it doesn’t quite seem to do Thierry Henry justice. He was the ultimate alpha male on the pitch; shoulders up, socks rolled up to the knee. Pace, power, arrogance. The ability to finish. The unselfish nature to set up his teammates yet still managing 30 goals a season. The guy was unstoppable.

There are players in every generation that you will tell your grandchildren about. And no matter how good you think you are at getting a point across, you won’t be able to put the experience of watching Thierry Henry into words. Be thankful there is now YouTube and other video services, because words alone can not tell the tale of the King.

The fear he brought to defenders; the combination of electrifying pace and terrifying power – mixed in with the ability to try the extraordinary – is unmatched. For me, he’s the greatest Premier League player of all time. Ronaldo was great; Cantona was dazzling, but Henry during the peak of his career made the Premier League his plaything.

He won every worthwhile team honour as a player. The World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League and countless league titles and domestic cups. His goal record and résumé is unquestionable. He’s the best player to ever don the red and white. He’s cast in bronze now, but Thierry Henry will always hold a golden place in fans’ heart.

I could go on for hours. Literally. But I’ll leave it to more talented wordsmiths to craft longer copy. I’m just a fan who wanted to write something about his favourite ever player.

Maybe one day we will see him return to the Emirates in some capacity, but for now, let’s just remember the career of a legend. A hero. The greatest hero of them all. Thanks for everything, King, you’ve affected our lives more than you will ever know.