On August 3, 1999, Arsenal competed in the signing of Thierry Henry of Juventus, which became the Gunners record with 11 million pounds sterling.
When Henry was introduced to the media, he joined Arsene Wenger on the Highbury field to hold up number 14 jersey, with which he would become synonymous.
The French striker had only joined Juventus earlier that year, but he struggled to settle in Turin, where he scored just three goals in 20 league games, mostly on the left side of the club. Midfielder.
Wenger, who had previously worked with Henry in Monaco, was aware of the talent this 21-year-old man possessed and jumped at the chance to sign the contract with the skilled striker.
He did not know much though, as the Frenchman would become the club's scorer, win many trophies and become one of the greatest players to ever win the Premier League over the next eight years.
Despite a difficult start in English football, where he did not score in his first seven outings, Henry scored 17 goals in each of his first two Premier League campaigns. Despite his own success, trophies were hinting at him.
The 2001/02 season proved a third chance for the striker, who scored 31 goals in all competitions to lead Arsenal to a memorable two-game campaign. Fans will remember this season better than the year they won the league title at the penultimate league match at Old Trafford.
While Henry was unable to participate in this match, he was an integral part of one of the most successful club campaigns of all time and he was recognized as such when he was chosen in the the PFA team of the year. He also picked up the Golden Boot Premier League for its 24 goals in league – the first of four gold boots in five years.
The 2002/03 season allowed him to win the English Cup again and win the first of his two consecutive PFA Player titles in the year.
The following year, Henry was the eminent figure of the "Invincibles", who performed the unthinkable and remained undefeated throughout the 2003/04 Premier League season – the first team to do so in 38 games.
Henry formed a wonderful partnership with Dennis Bergkamp during his stay in North London. They have probably reached their peak this season, with the telepathic understanding of the duo ravaging the opposition's defenses.
Berg amp Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry at Arsenal: the biggest strike partnership of all time❓
The duo formed an unstoppable pair of attacks between 1999 and 2006, guiding Arsène Wenger's team to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
#arsenal pic.twitter.com/QGpGc57iJg
– Globe Soccer Awards (@Globe_Soccer) July 9, 2019
Henry scored 30 goals, while he completed the 90 minutes in all but one Gunners' games. Unshakable as always, Henry continued in the same vein over the next two seasons, adding 63 goals and a medal to the England Cup.
In the 2005/06 campaign, Henry was closely badociated with the Barcelona. Such was the desire of the Barca fans to see Henry settle at Nou Camp, a pitch invader penetrating Arsenal Champions League in the semifinals with Villarreal and imposed a Barca jersey on the Frenchman – which bothers him a lot.
The Gunners then won this tie by organizing a final with the Catalan club, but eventually lost 2-1 against Barca after a good performance.
Henry's next campaign was to be hindered by injury since he had played only 17 league games (still scoring ten goals, the spirit). First season of Arsenal in its new stadium turned out to be Henry's last stay in his eight-year stay in North London, as he finally got his move to Barca in the summer of 2007.
Despite his departure, he continues to please fans of Arsenal, as his side Barca beat Manchester United in the final of the 2009 Champions League.
A movement of La Liga at the New York Red Bulls in 2010 seemed to mark the beginning of the end of his incredible career, while he was looking to play his final years in the comfort of the MLS.
However, in January 2012, as the Gunners struggled in the league, Wenger appealed one last time to his best striker, while he was bringing Henry back to the UAE for a quick loan at the age of 34. Many criticized the move and predicted Henry would defile his memory among fans. It was far from the case.
In his first match, the Gunners struggled to win 0-0 against Leeds United in the FA Cup and Wenger chose to call on the veteran to save him. That's what he did in the ten minutes that followed his introduction, grabbing the winning goal to send the fans home, and himself, into delirium.
In five more appearances, he scored two more goals, bringing his total total for the Gunners to 228.
Two years later, Henry announced his retirement from the match. While his playing days are now over, the memories of his Arsenal fans will remain etched in the years to come.
