Player of the week - My Thierry amour
By Zhao Siyuan (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2014-12-21 16:43King of Highbury
Henry's ardent fans recall countless unforgettable moments: he sprinted; dribbled; tricked opposition defenders; volleyed the ball in a fantastic arc into the far corner of the net; slid on his knees in celebration; gave a proud Wenger a big hug; rocked the entire stadium with a winner against arch-rival Manchester United and kissed the Highbury turf before Arsenal left to move to the new Emirates Stadium. These are among the moments cited by fans that made him immortal.
So immortal that Arsenal erected a statue, dedicated to the former icon, at the Emirates.
Henry loves the club back too. The former captain recalled the 78th minute winner he scored after coming off the bench in an FA Cup tie against Leeds United in 2012 as his favorite goal for the club. The then 34-year-old Henry had returned to London on loan from the New York Red Bulls.
Despite the deep feelings he had developed for Arsenal and Wenger, he still chose to leave in 2007 seeking a Champions League title, an honor to elude him with the Gunners but finally achieved in Barcelona.
He didn't end up devoting his entire career to one club as Paolo Maldini did for AC Milan, but spent his golden era with Arsenal and the fans seem to settle for that.
Henry's retirement echoed a video made by China Central Television's sports channel in 2010 and hailed as one of the best productions paying tribute to him.
Some fans said they couldn't help but shed tears when recalling some of the program they claimed as the best to sum up what Henry means to them.
"He was the captain. He was a leader. He was a legend. He was a striker. He was the Gunners' king," they quoted the program as saying.
The video highlighted Henry's reign at Arsenal's old stadium in North London's Highbury, with the scene of him kissing the turf during the club's farewell match at the stadium on May 6, 2007 deemed the most tear-jerking moment.
For this proof that history made by a great player defies time, thank you, Titi.
