One of the most explosive, exciting, and successful strikers of all time, Thierry Henry is still regarded as one of the greatest strikers in history.
In a career that saw the French forward play for Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, and New York Red Bulls, Henry cemented himself as one of the fastest and most clinical finishers in world soccer.
Only when the mercurial Frenchman moved to Arsenal in 1999 was he finally allowed to play in the striker’s position.
Manager and fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger saw the potential havoc that Henry could cause defenses throughout England. With pace to spare, Henry was, without a doubt, one of the fastest players of his generation.
Once he had settled into his role as Arsenal’s striker, Henry would go on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 228 goals in all competitions.
A member of the Invincibles side that went a whole season without a single defeat, Thierry Henry is Arsenal royalty. Even 16 years after leaving Arsenal in 2007, he is still regarded as the club’s greatest striker of all time.
Today, we’ll look at five of Thierry Henry’s greatest seasons as a player, and there’s plenty to choose from.
Consistently brilliant, the Frenchman had some genuinely spectacular years as a professional soccer player. A World Cup and UEFA European Championship winner with France, Henry amassed four league titles and a host of domestic and European titles.
5. 2009/2010 Season
Embed from Getty Images| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 6 | 6 |
A year after winning the La Liga title with Barcelona, Henry would go on to retain it in a season where Barcelona, then at the height of their powers, would battle on no less than six fronts.
By the end of the 2009-2010 season, Barcelona and Thierry Henry would have four more trophies to add to their growing list of accomplishments.
Winning La Liga by a mere three points from Real Madrid, Barcelona would only lose once all season in the league.
Henry helped the Catalan club to win the Supercopa de Espana, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
While not his most goal-laden season, Henry brought skill, game intelligence, and experience to the team.
4. 2001/2002 Season
Embed from Getty Images| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | 32 | 9 |
A mere five days after winning the FA Cup, Thierry Henry led Arsenal to the Premier League title, scoring 24 goals along the way.
Winning the Premier League Golden Boot, Henry was in lethal form throughout the year, terrifying defenders throughout England with his pace and incredible ball control.
Thierry Henry scored 32 goals in all competitions and had a superb 2001-02 season, at least in domestic soccer. On the international stage, the 2002 World Cup was expected to be another successful one for the defending champions.
Incredibly, the French national team didn’t make it out of the group stages, but thankfully for Henry, his Arsenal form meant the season wouldn’t go unfulfilled.
The 2001-2002 season was Henry’s first taste of silverware with Arsenal. His form simply exploded, with the lethal striker scoring another 32 goals the following season and 20 assists in the Premier League.
Henry would become the first player in history to both score and assist over 20 goals in a single season in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
Henry scored goals wherever he played, finishing his career with 366 goals in all competitions. Some of Henry’s goals were out of this world, with the player using his explosive pace to fly past players.
One memorable goal against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur saw the Frenchman pick up the ball at the edge of his own area before tearing downfield to score a wonder goal.
3. 1997/1998 Season
Embed from Getty Images| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 11 | 1 |
One of the most reliable strikers ever, Henry played an incredible 123 times for his country, scoring an awe-inspiring 51 goals.
Henry was called up to the France squad at an early age after impressing for both Monaco and the French Under 21s and was a surprise inclusion in the 1998 World Cup team.
Despite being a relative unknown at the time, Henry would finish the tournament as his country’s leading goalscorer, with three goals to his name.
After a superb showing by Henry on the way to the final in Paris, Henry was to be used as a substitute during the game; his pace and acceleration were to be used against a tiring Brazil team.
Unfortunately for Henry, a red card for French defender Marcel Desailly meant that the team had to alter its plans.
Despite not making it onto the pitch, Henry’s tournament was a complete success. A winner’s medal was soon followed by being made a Knight of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest decoration.
The World Cup is the absolute pinnacle for a soccer player, just making it to the tournament is a tremendous honor, and as the finals only come around once every four years, opportunities are rare.
To have won a World Cup at the tender age of 21 and been instrumental in winning the Jules Rimet trophy shows just how promising a young player Henry was.
2. 2008/2009 Season
Embed from Getty Images| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | 26 | 11 |
In a truly remarkable season with Barcelona, Thierry Henry would finish the season with both La Liga and Champions League winners medals and was an instrumental part of the team, scoring 26 league goals and five in the Champions League.
Played predominantly on the left wing while at Barcelona, Henry used his pace and skill to carve open defenses and would finish the season with 26 goals and ten assists in the league, an incredible number.
It’s a testament to how good the team was that the club scored a combined 105 goals in la Liga, conceding only 35.
Henry and Barcelona would also win the Champions League, defeating Manchester United in the final. This would be henry’s only Champions League success, having only finished as runner-up while at Arsenal.
The treble was completed when Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, ending what would be one of the most successful of the Frenchman’s career.
1. 2003/2004 Season
Embed from Getty Images| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | 39 | 15 |
We just had to end with the 2003-2004 season; Thierry Henry and Arsenal made history in this incredible year, going the entire Premier League season without losing a single game.
In the 38-game season, the Gunners won 26 games and drew 12. It’s a feat that’s almost unheard of, and it’s unlikely we’ll see it happen again in the Premier League.
Thierry Henry had an outstanding season, scoring 30 league goals and 39 in all competitions, and produced some of the most incredible displays ever seen by a striker.
It’s often forgotten that had Arsenal not gone the season unbeaten, the 2003-2004 season would have been a poor one, as the club fared poorly in other competitions.
At no point in the season was Arsenal any lower in the league than second, and a mid-season run of nine consecutive wins saw the team hit the top spot and stay there for the remaining 18 games.
Thierry Henry’s contribution to the invincible season cannot be overstated, as well as his 30 goals, his sheer presence on the field made defenses retreat into their own half.
Henry was the fastest player in the country, so adept at flying past defenders that they’d often retreat into their area to try to combat the superb Frenchman.
Leaving so much space at the edge of their penalty area wasn’t the greatest tactical plan, especially as Arsenal had several world-class players who were able to carve open defenses.
The 2003-2004 season propelled Henry into global recognition; Arsenal was by far the most exciting team in the Premier League, and much of that was down to the talents of Henry.
Having fellow French international players like Sylvian Wiltord, Robert Pires, and Patrick Vieira alongside him brought out the best in Henry, allowing him to become one of the most outstanding players of his generation.
