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Ahead of the New York Red Bulls’ visit to London for the Emirates Cup, Thierry Henry is preparing for an emotional visit to a place he still considers home.
The former Arsenal striker is looking forward to playing against his old team in the friendly tournament, as he still feels a strong connection with the club.
He does regret, however, that the team had to leave Highbury, as he only played one season at the Emirates before leaving for Barcelona.
“I was injured a lot my last season at Arsenal, our first season at the new ground,” he said. “When I come back now, I recognise all the people, of course: the chef, the groundsman, the guy on the door. But once I’m out on the pitch? Not really. All my memories are of Highbury. I know the move to the Emirates had to happen but Highbury will always be the place for me.
“I had an amazing relationship with Arsenal supporters. A weird one, too, though. I know I can be a pain in the neck. And they knew that. But I think they understood me, even when I was a pain. They knew how I was. And I knew how they were feeling about me. Without those fans, I’d never have done what I did. The people who worked around the Club, too. They helped me understand what it meant to play for the Club. You know: what it meant to beat Tottenham!
“You need big shoulders to play for Arsenal. The cannon is heavy. But the supporters see everything. They see what you’re doing, what you’re trying to do. It’s a great thing about English fans. Winning helps but, if you play hard and respect the shirt, they remember that. And that’s something priceless for me.”
Henry added that he is glad to be playing against the Gunners in a friendly, rather than a competitive game, as he had to do two seasons ago for Barcelona.
On that game, he said: “It was a weird experience. That was the worst possible draw for me. Obviously I had to play hard and try to help my team. But it was if I was playing against my brother. I had a job to do but, you know, you love your brother and you don’t ever want to hurt your brother. This time, I think, will be completely different. It’s a friendly game, for a start. We’ll be trying not to take a beating, though.”
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