Featured Image Credit: Getty Images - SPORTbible
Topics: Thierry Henry, Premier League, La Liga, France, Spotlight
Jack Kenmare
Topics: Thierry Henry, Premier League, La Liga, France, Spotlight
Like many of us watching at home, Thierry Henry wants to see more "instinct" players in modern football as the game continues to yearn for unpredictable entertainers and risk-takers.
As far as flair players are concerned, not many people could match Henry; the man who was capable of taking on an entire defence in seconds.
He was quick, intelligent, skillful and deceptively strong, which gave him an advantage in one-on-one situations. He also had great balance for his size and showcased instinctive decision-making, both in and out of possession.
Away from the technical parts of his game and Henry's fearless nature set him apart from the rest. Take his response when we asked him to name the most intimidating player he faced during a career that featured spells in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
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"I was never scared or intimidated by anyone," he told SPORTbible as part of the 'No Lay’s, No Game' campaign. "That doesn't mean I played well all the time. But I didn't want to put myself in the situation where you look at them and be scared."
More than a decade after retiring and the game has changed considerably since Henry walked away with two Premier League titles, a World Cup and a Champions League to his name.
Now, the days of beating an opponent with a piece of skill are few and far between, with rigid systems and data-driven decision-making being at the forefront for many clubs.
When asked what he misses most from his era of football, Henry tells us: "So many things. But you have to understand that the rules of the game have changed the game. You cannot do, say or act a certain way like before.
"When people say, 'I miss this and miss that' then you need to look at how the game has evolved. If you went back to having characters who could say or act however they wanted, then you'd get a red straight away, even in the tunnel.
"Back in the day, you tackled someone ten times and eventually it was a yellow."
Henry added: "To watch, I miss instinct players. The game is so structured and scripted, which I'm not saying is wrong or right, I just miss the guy who is going to shoot from 40 yards or would try and dribble past everyone.
"Now, more often than not, a manager will be like, 'Don't lose it!'. I was a striker and I liked to dribble. You have some players, don't get me wrong, but I miss players who take the ball and make me sit on the edge of my seat."
As mentioned above, Henry was speaking to us after taking part in the 'No Lay's, No Game' campaign, which saw the former Arsenal striker embark on the world’s first “Lay’s Crawl" alongside fellow brand ambassador Alexia Putellas.
Let me explain. Henry and Putellas were on a crisp-related mission to find a bar that was showing a Champions League game. When they arrived, they would ask one simple question at each venue to determine if it was the right place: “Do you have Lay’s?”
If the answer was yes, then Henry and Putellas would stay to watch the game. But if the answer was no, then fans would miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience to take in a match with the legendary pair.
"We had genuine reactions... people were even crying," says Henry. "A guy came with a potato and asked if he could cook it for me, so he could make crisps out of it. That genuine reaction you get is nice to see."
He added: "Watching football is such a social event. I used to watch the match with my dad growing up eating crisps and now I’m passing that tradition along to my family. It’s all about who you’re watching with – and of course snacking on Lay’s while you watch.”