The Gunners’ greatest ever player as detailed how playing with the Nigerian legend, helped him reached meteoric heights in London.
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has praised his partnership with former Gunners teammates Nwankwo Kanu and Dennis Bergkamp for making it ‘easier’ playing at Arsenal than Barcelona.
Kanu and Henry joined Arsenal in 1999 and went on to win two Premier League titles and two FA Cups together before the Nigerian forward left the club for West Bromwich Albion five years later.
Henry’s time with the Gunners proved to be even more successful as he racked up 228 goals in 376 appearances across two spells in north London.
These feats frequently have him regarded as the greatest striker in the history of the Premier League.
But after moving to Barcelona in 2007, the Frenchman struggled to adapt in his first season with the Camp Nou giants.
The 1998 World Cup winner managed only 19 goals in 47 games as the Catalans ended a frustrating season under coach Frank Rijkaard without a trophy.
However, his second year, under Pep Guardiola, proved more successful as the trio of Henry, Eto’o and Messi led Barca to a treble triumph in the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Champions League.
Henry confesses to England and Lyon star Nikita Parris as per The Metro that he struggled earlier in Spain because he was not given as much freedom as he enjoyed in England with Kanu and Bergkamp.
“I was at Arsenal, I never thought I was going to leave, but I did.
“I went to Barcelona, a different type of game, a different type of style to relearn how to play the game because at Arsenal, Dennis was there, Kanu was there, and I could move everywhere upfront, come in the middle, get the ball, go on the right and the left.
“Then suddenly you arrive at Barcelona, and I had Rijkaard asking me to stay on the left and then when Pep arrived… Pep is an amazing coach first and foremost, but he’s very demanding, very intense, and it’s almost like you play chess with him.
“You always want to be a step ahead of what you’re doing. To do that, you have to stay in your position in order to make the pitch as big as possible for the midfielders to operate what they need to operate.”
