Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says he won't be troubled by split loyalties when he faces Arsenal with the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
|||London – Thierry Henry won't be troubled by split loyalties when he faces Arsenal with the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
Henry says so much has changed since his time in north London that he'll have no problem playing for the Major League Soccer outfit against his old team in the two-day Emirates Cup preseason tournament.
The former France striker says he found it difficult to play for Barcelona against Arsenal in the Champions League last year but that things will be much easier this time because Sunday's match is a friendly.
And it helps that Arsenal only played at its Emirates Stadium for the last of his eight seasons with the club.
“I was injured a lot my last season at Arsenal, our first season at the new ground,” Henry said. “When I come back now, I recognize all the people of course: the chef, the groundsman, the guy on the door. But once I'm out on the pitch? Not really.
“All my memories are of Highbury. I know the move to the Emirates had to happen but Highbury will always be the place for me.”
Arsenal moved to the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium from Highbury in 2006, seeking a bigger ground to boost revenue and compete more equally with the likes of Manchester United.
The new stadium was built on industrial land almost next door to Highbury, but the proximity didn't soften the blow of leaving for some -including Henry.
“I only played there for seven years,” Henry said in an interview with Arsenal Magazine. “What must leaving have been like for a guy who'd been watching Arsenal there for 40 or 50 years?
“I always felt I was untouchable, playing there. That perfect pitch, the fans close enough you could hear them and they could hear you.”
The Red Bulls play Arsenal a day after meeting Paris Saint-Germain on the tournament's opening day. Arsenal plays Boca Juniors on Saturday, with the Argentine side playing PSG the following day.
Henry only started 16 of 38 Premier League matches in his lone season in front of the Emirates Stadium crowd, so the Frenchman is still not completely familiar with the environment.
“When I came with Barcelona in the Champions League, I was on the bench and came on. It was a weird experience,” Henry said. “That was the worst possible draw for me. Obviously I had to play hard and try to help my team. But it was if I was playing against my brother. I had a job to do but, you know, you love your brother and you don't ever want to hurt your brother.
“This time, I think, will be completely different.”
After three seasons with Barcelona, Henry followed David Beckham in moving to the United States to play out his career in the MLS.
The 33-year-old Henry acknowledges that the standard is not quite as high as that he became accustomed to in a career that included two Champions League finals, two Premier League titles and two Spanish league championships.
“We're not La Liga. We're not the Premier League. But there are good players here,” Henry said. “Look at our stadium. Listen to the atmosphere in the stands. They get it. They're a real football crowd. And the league's coming up. There are teams who really try to play here.
“And then there are some games which are just a battle. That's the same in every league in the world.” – Sapa-AP
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