Arsene Wenger claims that Thierry Henry never predicted the success that he would achieve at Arsenal.
Wenger believes that Henry, Arsenal’s all-time top goalscorer, never saw his success in north London coming because no one did.
“Never, I could never have expected it,” the boss told Arsenal Player. “I believe that Thierry Henry would tell you today, honestly, that he never expected to have that impressive number after [that goal at Southampton].
“It was a good surprise but that’s why we love the game as well. Sometimes it surprises!
“He has shown that it was not an accident, he showed that later.”
The France international netted 175 league goals at Arsenal (227 all comps), which is an unprecedented amount. This is during his eight glory years under Wenger, as well as his loan spell in 2012 during the MLS off-season while he was signed with New York Red Bulls.
It made the forward the Premiership’s fifth highest goalscorer behind Alan Sheerer, Wayne Rooney, Andrew Cole and Frank Lampard.
However, before this, Henry was hardly a flop. While at Monaco, where the Frenchman worked under Wenger for the first time in 1994, he scored 22 goals in 111 appearances across all competitions. This was only over five years when he was in his late teens and just learning the ropes.
During his short spell at Juventus in 1999, just before Arsenal signed him for a reported £11m, Henry found the net three times in 16 Serie A appearances.
Therefore, while his success with the Gunners could never have been predicted, there was a reason Wenger wanted to work with him again and brought him to London for a club record fee.
Saying this, can you ever truly predict a footballer like Thierry Henry will come along? You can hope all you want and nurture a prospect but I reckon a star like that only comes along once, twice, maybe even three times in a lifetime – if you’re lucky.