The prolific French forward played with some of the game’s greats in Nwankwo Kanu, Dennis Bergkamp, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi but rues never sharing the pitch with a Danish maestro
Arguably Arsenal’s greatest ever player, Thierry Henry has picked former Denmark international Michael Laudrup as the best player he never played with, especially praising the Dane’s passing ability.
Laudrup is regarded by many as the greatest Scandinavian footballer in history, ahead of the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimović, with the former Lazio attacking midfielder winning league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
A world-class playmaker at his prime, Laudrup was also a vital member of that underdog Denmark side that stunned many on its way to winning the European Cup in 1992.
Easily the best Danish footballer of all time, Laudrup is renowned for his ability to score as well as create goals, and it is the latter attribute that still impresses Henry decades after his idol retired from the game.
“Michael Laudrup: simple,” Henry told UEFA.com in response to a question asking him to name the best player he never played with.
“One of the most important things in the game is passing the ball. It’s like a gift you’re sharing with your team. And for me, in history, I don’t know any better passer than Michael Laudrup: simple as that.
“I would have loved to be on the end of his passing because all you had to do is run, and I could do that!
“Some people have been touched by God, and he was. I’ve said it so many times: I think he is recognised among players, but the world of football did not give him the credit that guy deserved.
“Andrés Iniesta made his game from him. ‘La Croqueta’ is Laudrup; it’s not Iniesta. As much as I love Andrés, it’s Laudrup. He only wanted to please people. When you look at the teams he’s played for, that’s it for me – let’s stop there.”
