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 With Thierry Henry having broken Arsenal’s scoring record, channel4.com raises the question of whether the mercurial forward can call himself the best Frenchman to have played in England.
Thierry Daniel Henry’s goals against Sparta Prague took him past Ian Wright’s record of 185 goals in all competitions for Arsenal – with 200 goals for the club surely his next target. However, more than just sealing legendary status amongst the fans on the North Bank, the achievement must also crown him ‘Le Roi’ of all the French exports to English football.
The number of Frenchmen crossing the Channel appears to increase by the season. While Eric Cantona was probably the most memorable to grace these shores, often for the wrong reasons, and David Ginola possibly one of the most recognizable outside of football circles, it must be the case that Henry is the undoubted leader of the pack when it comes to the game itself.
Twice named the PFA Footballer of the Year, and also picking up the Football Writer’s Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004, the clear impact Henry has had at Highbury is often only evident when he is missing through injury. Arsenal’s dismal start to the season is being blamed in many quarters on the exit of Patrick Vieira, but an equal argument could be made that the absence of Henry with a groin injury has been the downfall of Arsène Wenger’s men.
The Frenchman’s career in N5 isn’t marked only by his own individual achievements, though. His contributions have helped the Gunners to two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and three Community Shields. For France, he has added a European Championship medal to the World Cup medal he already possessed. Aside from the League Cup, a competition in which Arsenal pioneered the current trend of fielding reserves and youth team players, he has won everything available domestically and has topped the Premier League scoring charts for the last two seasons.
It is only on the European stage that Henry has failed to taste success with Arsenal. That failure has been reflected in his runner-up position in both the World and European Footballer of the Year awards over the past two seasons. The persistent under-achievement in Europe is the key factor that may one day tempt him to return to mainland Europe – although, to date, his loyalty to the Islington side has been exemplary.
The 28-year-old striker made his debut at home to Leicester City on August 7, 1999 but it wasn’t until September 18 that he hit the first of his 186 goals. The strike against Southampton brought to an end a run of eight consecutive games without a goal, a lean spell that he hasn’t repeated in Arsenal’s red and white. Two goals from his first 17 appearances for Arsenal was more of an indication of the difficulty Henry was having adapting from the wing role he had been playing for Juventus than a lack of ability. The eight goals in consecutive games later that season showed his true talent once he had settled into a centre-forward role.
 Since he overcame that slow start, he has taken scoring goals to the level of an art form. His solo goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby in 2002-03, his back-heeled goal against Charlton Athletic and the sublime pirouette around Chelsea’s Carlo Cudicini in the 2002-03 FA Cup tie are just a few of the gems that spring to mind – although there are literally 186 to choose from. Henry is one of those rare players who just doesn’t score ‘ugly’ goals.
A joy to watch when he is on form, he also appears to be the perfect gentleman off the pitch. Quiet and reserved he is not the kind of man to seek attention or turn up in the celebrity gossip columns. Always intelligent and humble in his post-match comments, he is as close to the model professional as you will find in today’s game. And his newfound responsibility as club captain will surely only improve his reputation at the club, and in the game as a whole.
However, taking the outright mantle of the best Frenchman to play in England is a hard task. The list of the stars of the French game to have played in the Premier League reads almost like an A-Z of Les Bleus’ recent history. Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Laurent Blanc, Fabien Barthez, Youri Djorkaeff all came to test themselves in England. The difference they all have with Thierry Henry is that they arrived after the best years of their careers had been spent elsewhere.
 In terms of players who have spent their prime years in England, only Patrick Vieira can really be classed as a world-class star. However, the galling annual dramatics over whether he would be remaining at Highbury – and his questionable disciplinary record – count against him. Henry’s loyalty and commitment to Arsenal hark back to a bygone age where players would grow and develop with their chosen club rather than use each one as a stepping-stone to something bigger. Meanwhile, in over 270 games for the club he has seen red just once, in a UEFA Cup tie at Werder Bremen.
The one player who can seriously argue that he has had a greater impact on the English game is Eric Cantona. While certainly capable of sublime moments of skill – who could forget his chipped goal against Sunderland at Old Trafford, and the arrogance of his celebration – it will be for his indiscretion at Selhurst Park that the name Cantona will always be remembered in England. His kung-fu kick into the Crystal Palace support and his subsequent ‘Seagulls’ monologue will see Cantona long remembered as a cult figure, but purely as a footballing talent he shouldn’t trouble Henry’s status.
As the exports from Ligue 1 continue to arrive season after season, we will no doubt see new legends and enigmas emerge, but it will take someone extraordinary to match the achievement and impact that Thierry Henry has had at Arsenal. The perfect pro on and off the pitch, he should be about to enter the peak years of his career. And if he can finally help Arsenal end their European odyssey under Arsène Wenger then he may just be able to lay claim to the title of the greatest French player of them all.
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