Henry transformed by astute Wenger
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At Arsenal Henry has been transformed into a deadly striker
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| THIERRY HENRY FACT BOX |
Striker, Arsenal and France.
Born: August 17, 1977, in Paris, France.
1994: Makes French first division debut for Monaco.
1996: Voted French Young Player of the Year.
1997: Signs first professional contract with Monaco, helping them win French championship with nine goals in 36 matches. Wins first French cap.
1998: Plays in six of seven games as France wins the World Cup, but sits out the final, a 3-0 win over Brazil.
1999: Signs for Juventus in January but fails to settle in Italy and moves on to Arsenal in August for $16.7 million. Fails to score in first eight appearances, but finishes season 27 goals.
2000: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000
2002: Scores 31 goals as Arsenal complete the English league and cup "Double," but sent off against Uruguay as France crash out of the World Cup in the first round.
2003: Wins second successive FA Cup with Arsenal and helps France qualify for Euro 2004 with eight wins from eight. |
PLAYER PROFILES
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• Zidane Real Madrid and France
• Henry Arsenal and France
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LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Thierry Henry stands to complete a remarkable transformation next week if he goes from a bit part at Juventus to FIFA's World Player of the Year with Arsenal.
The 26-year-old striker has certainly become familiar with accolades, after winning both the player awards available from English football last season.
Yet Henry's high-profile rise in the world game follows a period in the wilderness when few would have backed the youngster from the Paris suburbs.
Henry had been marked out for the elite from his early teens, joining up with France's national football institute at Clairefontaine and the club academy of Monaco where, for the first time, he caught the eye of coach Arsene Wenger.
Henry made his Monaco debut two weeks after his 17th birthday and within two years had become a first-team regular, helping the side to win the first division title in 1997 -- the year he also won his first senior cap for France.
The momentum continued as Henry picked up a 1998 World Cup winners' medal and in January 1999, after joining mighty Juventus, his ascension appeared unstoppable.
However, things soon began to unravel in Turin, where France's hottest property became a mere squad player, consigned to an isolated role sprinting up and down the left touchline.
Arsenal move
He made only 16 appearances in all, scoring three times, and the experience fell well short of his expectations. When Wenger moved in for Henry in the summer of 1999, there were no obstacles from either the player or his Italian club.
Wenger had plans for Henry.
Arsenal's Double-winning manager believed that with enough work on the training ground, Henry had the talent to switch from the wing to a central striking role.
It was a difficult learning curve for both Henry and the Arsenal fans who lost patience with a striker who could not score. Two goals in nearly four months was not a statistic to endear someone on Premier League wages to Highbury's North Bank.
Then suddenly, Henry came good.
He finished with an impressive 26 goals for the season, helped France to win Euro 2000 seven weeks later and has not looked back since. His lightning pace and sublime first touch guided Arsenal to the Double in 2002, when he was also the Premier League's top marksman.
Goalmaker
More than just a goalscorer, Henry's claim to the World Player of the Year prize is also as a goalmaker.
Last season, in which Arsenal retained their FA Cup but surrendered the league title to Manchester United, Henry was the league's second top scorer with 24 goals. But he was also top of the goal-assist list with 23.
Both skills were on display in last month's 5-1 demolition of Inter Milan at San Siro, where Henry scored two and made two of Arsenal's goals in a victory which English football will remember for years.
Henry has long recognized his debt to Wenger, telling France Football magazine earlier this year: "In every match, I try to repay all the things he's given me.
"He was the one who launched my pro career at Monaco and he was the one who then re-launched it at Arsenal, holding out a hand to me when I was feeling down."
Copyright 2003
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
