Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has revealed the personal motivation that Thierry Henry had to lead Gunners to their last title
(Image credit: PA)
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry had a fire within him to keep the Gunners unbeaten, due to a major individual snub.
That's according to former Highbury vice-chairman David Dein, who brought the Frenchman to north London in 1999. Henry scored 228 goals while at Arsenal and 20 years ago this month, helped the Gunners to clinch a league title at White Hart Lane, before finishing the entire season without losing once.
Now, Dein has told FourFourTwo exclusively that he regards the iconic striker as a “perfectionist” – and he reckons that being overlooked for a personal honour helped drive him to bigger things while in the Premier League.
Former Arsenal chief David Dein says Henry was a perfectionist (Image credit: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
“Thierry was a perfectionist,” reflects Dein. “I think perhaps he was motivated because the year before, he was the runner-up in the Ballon d’Or to Pavel Nedved.
“I think he believed he had something to prove.”
Henry's rejection by France Football for the gong remains one of the biggest robberies in the award's history. Still, Dein maintains that he's one of the best players of his generation and one that he always expected to produce something from nothing when he watched him play.
“He was one of those players that whenever he received the ball, you instinctively moved forward in your seat,” Dein continued. “You felt the expectation was there for him to do something special – and invariably, he did.”
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
