90min

Thierry Henry reveals the one thing he 'always wanted' to do in his playing career

  • Henry didn't enjoy the end to his career which he had dreamed of
  • The Arsenal legend hung up his boots after a spell in MLS, but did have an impressive swansong at Arsenal
  • Henry and Jamie Carragher were talking to 90min

By Grey Whitebloom

Thierry Henry is regarded by many as Arsenal's greatest ever player
Thierry Henry is regarded by many as Arsenal's greatest ever player / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages
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Thierry Henry didn't leave many worlds unconquered.

The European and world champion with France won domestic titles in England, Spain and the USA. After spearheading Arsenal's unprecedented unbeaten Premier League season, Henry was a crucial cog in Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side which won six titles in one year.

But the legendary forward didn't cross off every item on his footballing bucket list. As Henry wistfully reflected while in conversation with 90min to celebrate the release of Venom: The Last Dance: "It's always been something I wanted to do. Score and leave the stadium."

Henry was talking to Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, who came so close to fulfilling that dream in his final appearance for the Merseyside giants. The proud one-club man let rip from all of 30 yards when coming up against Queens Park Rangers in his 737th senior outing. The ball rattled the outside of the post, a matter of inches away from nestling in the top corner.

Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer, one of just six players with more Premier League goals than Henry, lived the dream. The boyhood Magpies fan drilled his team into a 2-1 lead with a penalty against arch-rivals Sunderland in April 2006. It would prove to be Shearer's final touch in black and white stripes. "It's not a bad way to go out," the striker beamed post-game.

Walking off in a golden blaze of glory evaded Henry. The Frenchman's final professional appearance came in the colours of New York Red Bulls, as his side failed to overcome New England Revolution in the semi-final of the 2014 MLS Cup.

Henry did enjoy a decent swansong at Arsenal. The club's all-time top scorer returned to north London for a six-week loan spell at the start of 2012, marking his first game back with a late winner against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round.

Looking back at the image of his unfiltered celebration, Henry told 90min: "He is the fan that scored a goal. That's the dream of any fan, I guess."

Rather than immediately sprint out of the Emirates in celebration, Henry was among the last to vacate the premises. "I left the stadium that day at 1.30 in the morning," he remembered. "I still had my shinpads on, I still had my shorts on. I didn't want to move. That was special."

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