by Lewis Ambrose

Straight after his move to Arsenal last summer, Danny Welbeck spoke about looking up to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as a child.

Now, in an interview with Arsenal Player Welbeck is at it again, explaining why Arsenal’s record goalscorer was always a player he admired.

“It was hard because I was a United fan and we were playing against Arsenal, but it’s hard not to like Thierry Henry,” said Welbeck, who grew up just three miles from Old Trafford and was first spotted by Manchester United as a six year-old.

“That’s what was so special about him – fans from other teams had to love him because he was that good. At the time all the kids around my area liked Thierry Henry.”

That may come as a surprise, but it speaks volumes for just how good Henry was.

“When I was watching the Premier League on TV I was seeing what Thierry Henry was doing and it’s just something that you can’t look away from. From them on, I enjoyed watching the way he played.

“I just loved the way he played, the way he scored goals, the way he played with the team. It was great and it’s the same with Ryan Giggs, I loved watching him for Manchester United.”

Welbeck names Henry and Giggs as his two heroes growing up, and has now rubbed shoulders with both men who have achieved everything in the game between them.

Emulate

The next step for Welbeck is to try and emulate Henry in an Arsenal shirt.

Let’s not get carried away – it is unlikely that the striker will ever trouble Henry’s record of 228 Arsenal goals – but he can make a far bigger mark in north London than he has so far.

A hat-trick against Galatasaray drew comparisons to the Arsenal legend which Arsène Wenger did his best to dispel, but the Arsenal manager will still be hoping to get more out of Welbeck.

The England international scored eight goals in his first season at Arsenal, and will be looking to better that return next season.