175 goals for Arsenal, 4 Premier League titles with the Gunners, 4th on the all-time Premier League goal scoring list and universally regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League. Thierry Henry announced his decision to retire from the game after 20 glorious years filled with individual and team honours.
The former Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Redbulls striker decided to hang up his boots after the completion of the current MLS season and is set to take up a pundit’s role for Sky Sports, he was on the Sky Sports panel during the 2014 World Cup.
Henry, who also won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, is regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the world during his playing time. Technically gifted, great at dribbling and a brilliant finisher, he even won the World Cup and European Championship in 1998 and 2000 with the French national team, it is only a matter of time before Henry does go a little deeper into football and he could be making a third return to Arsenal, in fact he should make a third return to Arsenal.
Third time lucky for Arsenal?
Henry came into Arsenal after a poor season with Juventus, nurtured well by Arsene Wenger, Henry quickly became one of the best attackers in the league as he terrified defences with his goal scoring prowess. He won the Premier League golden boot 4 times and was the Golden boot winner in Europe twice.
Henry did return to Arsenal for a loan spell during the close of the MLS season in 2012 but that was more to provide cover for the club since Gervinho and Chamakh were not available as they were on African cup of nation’s duty.
Henry is loved not only by the Arsenal fans but by most fans, except the Irish for his handball incident which knocked the Irish out from the World Cup qualifying round in 2010. However Henry coming back to Arsenal for a third time should be something that Gunners fans would love, this time it wouldn’t be as a player but rather as a coach.
Henry was known to be one of the best finishers in the world, he was cool and composed when taking on defenders and was ice cold in finishing. Henry would be the perfect foil for the current crop of attackers, he would not only help them get better but also can help them acclimatise to the club and game faster.
Henry didn’t have it all going his way when he came to Arsenal, he made a big money move to Juventus from Monaco but his time in Turin wasn’t the best, his move to Arsenal was supposed to help him rejuvenate his career and that he did, brilliantly. Henry also trusts Wenger, he was quoted as saying that he left Arsenal to join Barcelona because he did not know about the future of Arsene Wenger and David Dein at the club.
Henry can commit to both his work as a pundit for Sky and also work behind the scenes for Arsenal, who knows; maybe he could be the replacement for Wenger, after a few years when he learns enough from the Professor.