Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is widely considered one of the greatest forwards to have graced the Premier League and certainly one of the best of his generation.
The Gunners were truly spoilt with the presence of Henry, who signed from AS Monaco and developed into one of the most exciting and talented players that has ever worn the famous red strip.
Any generation of football automatically gets compared with the previous and this one’s been no different, with many current stars likened to Henry before their careers truly took shape.
Here is a list of players who were compared to Thierry Henry and how they fared in their respective careers.
1. Anthony Martial
Age: 23
Games: 227
Goals: 58
Quote: Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha told reporters in 2015: “He’s got that speed, that power, he’s got that youth in him so he’ll surprise a lot of defenders because they don’t know him.
“It’s a great asset for Manchester United and that’s what they needed because up front they lack speed sometimes.
“In France, we call him the next Thierry Henry because he can play left or right, he’s got a great ability with the ball, he can take on three, four players with ease, there is no problem.
“At the same time, the new generation have no fear. He’s got such an ability that he can win trophies for Manchester United I believe that, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on him.”
What happened next?: The talented Frenchman has enjoyed mixed fortunes at Manchester United since his big-money move from AS Monaco.
Martial has been mostly limited to a bit-part role under Jose Mourinho, with his lack of playing time costing him a place within France’s World Cup-winning squad this summer.
His contract expires at the end of the current season, perhaps that is part of the reason he has been playing more regularly this campaign, scoring six goals in his last seven games.
Career path: AS Monaco – Manchester United (Present)
2. Theo Walcott
Age: 29
Games: 451
Goals: 119
Quote: It was former manager Arsene Wenger who made the comparison between a young, fresh-faced Walcott and Henry.
Comparing their positional play on the football pitch, Wenger told reporters: “I always said that one day he would play through the middle and it grew in his brain.
“He is now 23, and I decided to play Thierry Henry at 23 through the middle because you have to learn a lot before.
“The fact that you play in other positions helps your technique. On the wing, you need a shorter technique against the line but once you play in the middle you can go on both sides.
“From 19 to 23, Theo has learned a lot. Now we will sometimes play him on the flanks, sometimes through the middle, but I like what I have seen through the middle. The signs are good, it’s an interesting challenge for him but I think he can take it on.”
What happened next?: Over 10 years, 108 goals and almost 400 appearances later, Walcott’s time at Arsenal is somehow still looked at with an air of slight disappointment.
This is mainly down to the fact that people’s expectations were so high for Walcott following his big move from Southampton at the start of his career and his early involvement in the England squad.
Walcott is a good, solid Premier League-standard player. He just isn’t the world-class player he teasingly promised to be when he broke through all those years ago.
However, over 100 goals for Arsenal without playing in an out-right striker’s position is nothing to sneer at and Walcott is now trying to provide further magic for Marco Silva’s Everton.
Career path: Southampton – Arsenal – Everton (Present)
3. Loic Remy
Age: 31
Games: 349
Goals: 118
Quote: It was Remy himself who made the public claim that he was trying to replicate the performances and talent of Henry.
Speaking to reporters (via Goal) Remy said: “My family are from Martinique, he’s [Henry’s] half [Martinique], that’s where it must come from.
“The biggest compliment in 10 years would be: ‘Remy had a career like Titi Henry.’
“He’s played more than 50 matches flat out every season for 15 years, scored 51 goals for France, has an incredible record of trophies.
“For the time being, I’m very far away. But you can always dream of being a big name in French football.”
What happened next?: On his day, Remy was an extremely classy, talented goalscorer who was able to glide at defences with relative ease.
Unfortunately, recurring injury problems stopped him from developing into a consistently effective striker at the top level of football and despite mixed fortunes for a small handful of Premier League clubs, Remy’s aim of becoming the next Henry rapidly faded into a distant dream.
However, Remy did have some great times in football and is still trying to create more, plying his trade back in Ligue 1 with Lille.
Career path: Lyon – Lens (loan) – Nice – Marseille – Queens Park Rangers – Newcastle United (loan) – Chelsea – Crystal Palace (loan) – Las Palmas – Getafe (loan) – Lille (Present)
4. David Bellion
Age: 36
Games: 295
Goals: 54
Quote: Bellion himself professed he wanted to try to recapture the footballing essence that Henry exuded.
Speaking to reporters in 2002 he said: “For me, Thierry Henry is the best striker in the world at the moment,” Bellion, 19, said. “I look at how he plays, how he runs, and how he exploits space.”
Local press were getting wind of Bellion’s potential with the Manchester Evening News excited over the prospect of the Frenchman strutting his stuff on the Old Trafford pitch.
What happened next?: Once regarded as his hero Thierry Henry’s natural successor in the France team, Bellion quickly fell down the pecking order at Manchester United and it soon became obvious that the striker was a victim of cruel expectation.
Just four Premier League goals in a limited 24 games for United, Bellion was shipped out on loan but never developed into a player anywhere near the sheer class of Henry.
He still had a career at a decent level – spending seven years at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux – but he just couldn’t turn that early potential into something lasting.
Career path: Cannes – Sunderland – Manchester United – West Ham United (loan) – Nice (loan) – Nice – Bordeaux – Nice (loan) – Red Star – (Retired).
5. Gilles Sunu
Age: 27
Games: 204
Goals: 15
Quote: Sunu arrived at the Emirates with Chateauroux vice-president Patrick Trotignon instantly comparing the player to Henry.
“He plays as an out-and-out striker like Thierry Henry, but he also can play in midfield,” Trotignon said in 2007.
“Gilles is lightning quick and he has great technical skills. But the key is that he is very intelligent, older than his years.”
What happened next?: Sunu was brought to the club aged just 16 and found success in the youth ranks.
However, that was where he stayed. Sunu failed to make a single Premier League appearance for the Gunners – with just two cup outings made – and despite the hype surrounding his transfer to the north London outfit, like many before and after, Sunu just couldn’t take that extra step.
Leaving Arsenal in 2011, Sunu has been transformed into a winger and at the age of 27, he is playing his football in Turkey.
Career path: Arsenal – Derby County (loan) – Lorient – Evian – Angers – BB Erzurumspor (Present)
6. Kylian Mbappe
Age: 19
Games: 119
Goals: 62
Quote: France manager Didier Deschamps compared the two players, stating that Mbappe was more developed than Henry at this age.
“He knows he does things others don’t. He’s intelligent, he listens,” Deschamps told Le Parisien of Mbappe.
“I tell him when he does things well, but so many people say that. I’m also there to tell him what’s not good, even if that represents only five per cent of his game. He corrects it and he listens.
“In 1998, David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry were his age but didn’t have the same role. Kylian is already grown up.
“I have played with very good players. I have also coached them. But him, it’s not only the quality.
“In terms of his age…With what he does now and what he should do in the future, I have always said, I’m very happy he’s French.”
What happened next?: Oh, nothing much. At the age of 19, he’s just won the Fifa World Cup with France, scoring four goals – including in the final – and ultimately helping drive his team onto success.
Domestically, he has found life in Ligue 1 just as rewarding, scoring and winning titles constantly with oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain, forming an excellent relationship with Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
Starting at AS Monaco, winning the World Cup and he’s French? This is as close to Thierry Henry as we are going to get. The scary thing is, he could go on to become just as good, if not better as a player than the Gunners legend.
Career path: AS Monaco – Paris Saint-Germain (Present)
The post What happened next? Six players dubbed the next Thierry Henry appeared first on Squawka News.
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