“I said I was going to be a Gunner for life and I did not lie because when you are a Gunner, you will always be a Gunner.”  Thierry Henry – 23/06/2007

MAKE NO MISTAKE: Thierry Henry is an Arsenal legend.

He is one of the greatest players our club has ever seen. One of the greatest players our country has ever seen. One of the greatest players the world has ever seen.

I’m not going to talk about the club and what we must do to move forward. I’ll save that for a day when I’m feeling less nostalgic.

As his eight year spell in north London draws to a close, it’s time to look back and appreciate all that he has given to this club.

Thierry Henry is Arsenal’s all-time top goal scorer with 226 goals from 364 appearances. He is a unique character. And his phenomenal talent is unique as well. For years we watched him strut up and down the pitch at Highbury, scoring goals. Amazing goals. Fantastic goals. Important goals. Ridiculous goals.

We watched in awe as he scored from a backheel against Charlton; when he scored one of the best goals Highbury ever saw against Man United; when he gave us the lead at the Bernabeu; when he knocked four against Leeds in one evening; when he beat Ian Wright’s record against Sparta Prague. 

These are golden memories. Golden memories which I’ll never forget.

Thierry’s message to fans:

“Well, I would like to say you have been tremendous for me. I really do appreciate it. I am shaking as I say this. I will always remember you. I will have you in my head and my heart. I wanted to reassure you that I always gave 100 per cent here. I know some people said some other stuff but I always gave 100 per cent. I hope you appreciate what I did here because I appreciate what you did for me. I grew as a man and became a better football player. I will always take that with me no matter what happens. Arsenal will be in my blood as well as my heart. I will always, always, always remember you guys.”

No one player can ever be bigger than the club, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to hurt when a player like Thierry moves on. It’s hard to accept the fact that he’ll never wear our shirt again; that he’ll never score for us again. There really is nobody quite like him.

I know we’ve got to collect ourselves together and focus on the task ahead, but I’m going to take this weekend to reflect and remember one of the finest players that has ever worn this club’s shirt.

Merci, Thierry.

“Here you learn the importance and the value of the shirt and the club. Arsenal is like that, an English family.”

“The Club is in my heart and will remain in my heart forever.”

YOU’VE got to laugh. All of these headlines have appeared in the news in the last few days and they all appear to follow a very simple trend: Thierry Henry is either definitely going or definitely staying. It’s quite amazing how so many different sources, (many of which are not particularly credible, I must admit), can report such radically different stories.

The most recent claim that Henry is Barcelona-bound comes from the French magazine, France Football. They go with the headline: Barca - Henry, Accord conclu

This report was immediately followed by stories reporting that Henry’s agent, Jerome Anderson, is considering legal action against the French publication.

“The story is absolute rubbish. I can categorically state that I have never met or had discussions with anyone from Barcelona.”

“The story says I met with them in the South of France. The fact is I haven’t been to the South of France for years. I will be seeking legal advice over this story.”

The whole saga has become quite boring to be honest. Just look at the headlines above; it’s a joke. Either he stays or he goes. It was the same in the summers leading up to when Patrick Vieira left and for fans, it is incredibly frustrating.

Yes, Henry has admitted being flattered by being linked to clubs such as Barcelona and AC Milan, but he’s also committed his future on a number of different occasions.

I’m pretty sure he’ll stay on for next season at least. Depending on how things pan out next year, (and what Arsene decides to do) he’ll review his situation again a year from now.

At the end of the day, the final say on the matter comes from Arsenal. He is under contract until 2010, so if he is to go, it will be the club’s decision. As I’ve said before, he is priceless to Arsenal and until Thierry gives a press conference at Barcelona, I don’t want to read any more poorly researched, misleading and sensationally inaccurate stories. I’m pretty fed up of it.