Thierry Henry arrived at Arsenal in 1999 ready to take the Premier League by storm.
Very few would’ve been able to anticipate the impact Henry would leave on Arsenal at the time of the striker’s arrival.
Henry traded Turin for North London in 1999 on the back of a campaign with Juventus that amounted to only three goals.
Little did Arsene Wenger know that he’d recruited a player who would go on to be Arsenal’s record goalscorer, but even Henry needed some time to adapt.
Thierry Henry had to learn what Arsenal represent
It’s difficult to imagine that Henry needed time to adapt to Arsenal, given that the Frenchman secured 25 goal contributions in his debut Premier League season.
While the forward’s quality on the pitch came naturally, Henry himself admitted that it took him months to understand one thing after joining Arsenal.
Speaking to Pro Direct Soccer, the Arsenal legend unpacked the importance of understanding what the Gunners represent as a player.
“When you arrive at Arsenal, you kind of understand what The Arsenal represent in the community,” Henry said in 2022.
“You feel it walking in the street, you feel it wearing the jersey, you feel it when you arrive at the training ground. The shirt can be heavy for some, but it takes time for you to be able to wear it properly.”
The now-retired striker revealed that it took him as long as eight months to truly understand what some would call ‘the Arsenal way’.
“It took me a good eight months to be able to understand what it means to play for The Arsenal and then after it becomes you, it becomes what you’re about, how you sleep, how you walk, you represent Arsenal.
“That’s what you try to do when you step on the pitch, you try to represent that community, the fans and what that crest is about and what we are all about, class, fight, you try to give the people that go to the game what they want.”
How long was Thierry Henry at Arsenal?
It didn’t take long for Henry to show his brilliance at Arsenal, with his commitment to the club showing through his quality.
Aside from his goalscoring record, the Frenchman is loved in N5 because of how much he loved, and still loves, the club he represented.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
| 337 | 228 | 96 | 7 |
Henry spent eight years of his career at Arsenal before leaving to sign for Barcelona in 2007, only to return five years later on a shock loan.
The World Cup winners’ loan lasted two months but produced a lifetime of memories, scoring that historic goal against Leeds United at the Emirates.
Even Henry had to take some time to balance the weight of wearing the cannon, something that made him such a lovable figure at Arsenal.
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