Thierry Henry is a name synonymous with victory, legendary status and a deadly striker whose sole desire is to beat his opponent. Henry is not only famous among Arsenal faithful's but everyone who ever watched the French forward during his prime years in England. The retired French footballer is a record goal scorer for English side Arsenal as well as French national team.
Here are quotes of what big names in football said about him.
"It was embarrassing for the defenders. He just scored when he wanted." - Arsene Wenger
"I think he's the best player to have played in this country. I'd go that far. " - Alan Smith
"There's a difference between skills and functional skills. Thierry's skills were perfectly functional. There was something behind every movement: to get a strike, receive a pass." - Dennis Bergkamp
"I asked my son who the best player in England is. I was waiting for him to say his dad. He said Thierry Henry." - Didier Drogba
"The word 'great' is overused but in Thierry's case it is absolutely true." - Bob Wilson
"Thierry Henry would play for Arsenal like he was a 20-year-old playing in an Under-12 league, and I've never seen that before." - Paul Merson
"As a football fan I enjoy watching Henry, and some of the goals he scored last year were frightening. He's one of those player where you know what he's going to do but you just can't stop it. He's so quick,so strong and so confident. It feels like every game he's going to score a goal." - Ryan Giggs
"There is only one word to describe Henry—a nightmare. He is one of the best strikers in the world and a kind of player a goalkeeper doesn't want to face." - Carlo Cudicini
"Character-wise, he was a winner, you could tell that straight away. But he had everything on the ball as well, he had skill, trickery, he could go past a player, and he had an eye for goal." -
Ray Parlour
"He was one of the greatest players this club has ever had and has done a huge service to this club. " - Arsene Wenger
"What a great player Thierry Henry was – I'd say he's the best to ever play in the Premiership, just ahead of Shearer." - Jamie Carragher
"The first day that he came into the dressing room, I did not dare to look him in the face. I knew everything that he had done in England." - Lionel Messi
"Is he one of the all-time greats? Obviously. He's the kind of player that you need forever." - Jose Mourinho
We were blessed in this country to see Thierry playing at his peak, potentially one of the greatest players in the world, and even if you supported another team you couldn't help but enjoy watching him play. It's always a shame when such a career comes to an end." - Gary Neville
"Henry is an artist and players like him are the reasons people get involved in football." - Claudio Ranieri
"From the ages of ten to 16, watching him the Premier League was amazing and he scored all different types of goals – free-kicks, volleys, left foot, right foot. He was entertaining. He's probably the best centre-forward, I think, to play in the Premier League." - Wayne Rooney
"His time with Arsenal was fantastic and he's always been a good role model in how he holds himself, as a footballer and a human being. He's never wavered from that type of professionalism that you need to achieve that status." - Sir Alex Ferguson
"To be honest Thierry is different class. In my mind there is no better striker in the world at the moment. Marking him is near impossible, his pace is devastating, I don't think I've ever come up against a player with so many attributes." -
Ashley Cole
"A footballing monster in respects of ability. He (had) everything." - Ian Wright
"He was so powerful I've never seen a player being so dominant in the Premier League." - Cesc Fabregas
"People say he doesn't score a lot of goals with his head, but does he really have to with the ability he has in his feet? He makes spectacular goals look easy. His technique is fantastic." - Alan Shearer
"On his day he was absolutely scintillating, a supreme athlete and a magnificent footballer. What amazed me was that he never seemed to get a sweat on. He could run 100 meters past five players and he wouldn't even be breathing heavily." - Paul Scholes
"Ronaldinho is a special player, but Thierry Henry is probably technically the most gifted footballer ever to play the beautiful game" - Zinedine Zidane