Hooray for Henry As Striker Stays
Soccer: By pledging his future to Arsenal, and specifically mentioning a desire to lead the team out at the new stadium, Thierry Henry has shown his class, says Paul Wilson.
Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Arsenal will need three new stadiums and 33 new teams before they can rival Manchester United. He exaggerates, though his comment that the London club may struggle to sell 60,000 tickets every week came closer to touching a Highbury nerve.
Arsenal are trying to build foundations at Ashburton Grove that will serve them in the present century as well as Highbury did in the past one and that is why Thierry Henry's decision to stay is such good news. Henry knows Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have given him a wonderful career, but few could have begrudged him a glamorous move to Barcelona.
He has been as good for Arsenal as they have been for him and he does not owe the club anything. By pledging his future to them, and specifically mentioning a desire to lead the team out at the new stadium, Henry has shown his class in a way that can only be good news for Arsenal, London and English football. Barcelona may be the most exciting team in Europe at present, but they may not be in a year or so.
After the months of headlines linking the Frenchman with a move to Spain, perhaps we can now go back to stories suggesting Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o may fancy a move to London. Barcelona always sounds great, but if Chelsea can repeat last season's feat of knocking them out of the Champions League, who knows? This might be London's year.
Arsenal are trying to build foundations at Ashburton Grove that will serve them in the present century as well as Highbury did in the past one and that is why Thierry Henry's decision to stay is such good news. Henry knows Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have given him a wonderful career, but few could have begrudged him a glamorous move to Barcelona.
He has been as good for Arsenal as they have been for him and he does not owe the club anything. By pledging his future to them, and specifically mentioning a desire to lead the team out at the new stadium, Henry has shown his class in a way that can only be good news for Arsenal, London and English football. Barcelona may be the most exciting team in Europe at present, but they may not be in a year or so.
After the months of headlines linking the Frenchman with a move to Spain, perhaps we can now go back to stories suggesting Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o may fancy a move to London. Barcelona always sounds great, but if Chelsea can repeat last season's feat of knocking them out of the Champions League, who knows? This might be London's year.
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