The Brilliant Story Behind Thierry Henry Wearing A Portsmouth Shirt And Applauding Their Fans After A Match

​Thierry Henry once wore a Portsmouth shirt and received a special reception from the Fratton Park​ faithful following a masterclass for Arsenal. 

It's something he never experienced in his career before as Henry soaked in the atmosphere, with the opposition fans singing his name.

​Henry, sporting Lomana LuaLua's No.32 shirt, applauded each end of the ground after starring for Arsenal.

He appreciated the Portsmouth fans' gesture and spoke glowingly of their fanbase following his two-goal showing in his side's 5-1 win.

"I wore the Portsmouth shirt for those special fans," he said. "They were singing my name, asking me to give them a wave and all that. I’ve never experienced that in my life.

"This was an away game and I was from the other team. They really are tremendous; they were asking me to sign for Portsmouth.

"Wearing their shirt at their ground was the only thing I could do to give something back to them. I hope that it meant something."​

Henry holds Fratton Park close to his heart, calling the south coast stadium one of his favourite grounds. ​

On his favourite stadiums in England, he revealed: "​For me, though, Fratton Park would be right up there as another of my favourite grounds.

"Portsmouth is a remarkable place. I know of no other club where, despite 5-1 down in our FA Cup sixth round match two years ago, the home fans would have been supporting their team so vocally."

Henry is an Arsenal and Premier League icon, whose legacy is respected by fans across the country.