In an interview with PUMA from 2012, Thierry Henry was asked if he was just as cool for the football field as he was on it.
His reaction was clearly not cool, at least initially. He took a deep breath and giggled nervous. But then he started talking about how he felt on the field.
“I always said to myself:” You don't have to panic. You have the ball. Why would you panic? Everyone should panic. Not you. “
Thierry Henry was perhaps the most French football player of all time. He could score goals with effortless convenience. He was frightening quickly without ever looking like he encouraged himself.
Even now, when he speaks, he speaks with that deep cadence that makes you suspect that he could fall asleep at any time.
When Real Madrid Arsenal organized in February 2006 for the first stage of the Champions League round of 16, we reached Peak Thierry Henry.
It was perhaps the end of the Galacticos, but Real could still play a starting XI with Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo. In the second half they could even rely on Raul to replace Robinho.
If Arsene Wenger wanted to change his strikers, he had the choice of a 16-year-old Theo Walcott or a 19-year-old Arturo Lupoli, who both still had to play in the Premier League.
But Arsenal triumphed 1-0, mainly because of Henry's sparkle. We are not even here to talk about his goal, when he just collected the ball within the opposition and casually burst through the entire defense of Real Madrid to score on his weaker foot without ever looking like he was trying particularly hard.
No, we are here to talk about a moment in the 93rd minute, when Arsenal held on to their 1-0 lead prior to the return set-up at Highbury.
Henry was good 15 meters in his own half on the right wing, but that still made him the biggest forward player of the Gunners, and his presence was enough to attract the attention of four real defenders.
When the ball came his way and he was completely alone with only white shirts for company, he did not panic. He had the ball. Why would he panic? Everyone should panic. Not him.
Sergio Ramos was the first to go, somehow passed by without even getting Henry somewhere.
The small legs of Roberto Carlos soon gave up all the hope to make up for the rapidly disappearing No. 14.
The non-commanding task to prevent Henry from preventing the ball to waste precious time, fell and then fell to Alvaro Mejia, a Rookie defender who replaced the non-surprisingly damaged Jonathan Woodgate after nine minutes.
Henry would never stop and feel sorry for his next victim. Indeed, he extended the torture by briefly to go to the goal, just to go to the corner flag instead.
Mejia resorted to diving, so Henry could produce his next trick by gently bumping the ball and letting the tackle swing without even looking at the defender.
If there was justice in the world, the referee would have stopped the game there and then to give Real Madrid a fourth replacement so that Mejia could leave the field and save even more torment.
Unfortunately, he was forced to push his master into a scene who is related to a toddler who tried to tackle his father, eventually gave the ball out of the game to give Arsenal a complication deep in the opposition half.
Henry's reaction is perhaps the coolest one he – or another football player – has ever looked at a football field.
There is no touch of emotion, but then … is that a wink? There is definitely a brutal wave for the Real Madrid fans behind the goal who have absolutely had enough of this shit.
You can't blame them; It is never fun to be trained in your own backyard. But sometimes you just have to lean back and appreciate the lesson that you have learned.
By Rob Conlon
Comments