22 October 2023 , 05:15
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Ray Parlour has claimed that Thierry Henry was the second best player he played alongside at Arsenal, naming the Frenchman's former forward partner as No 1.
The former midfielder was part of two double winning sides in north London, first in 1998 and then again in 2002. During that time he played with some classy individuals, highlighting the qualities possessed by the likes of Patrick Vieira and Marc Overmars.
However it was Henry and his strike colleague Dennis Bergkamp who really stood out, combining for years at Highbury. The Dutchman arrived as an unknown quantity in the mid 1990s from Inter Milan and immediately made an impact whilst Henry was a slow starter before going on to become prolific.
Parlour previously told Sky Sports : "The best player, it’s got to go down to two players, either Henry or Dennis Bergkamp. Henry was amazing, what he achieved at Arsenal. When he first turned up he couldn’t hit a barn door, it was seven games no scoring goals, we thought 'we can’t win the league with Thierry'.
"We’d just lost Nicolas Anelka who was a brilliant player but I’d have to pick Dennis, because he changed the attitude a lot with the British players with his training methods, professionalism was first class. He used to stay behind training and practice on his own.
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"And we used to think ‘well hang on a minute, shouldn’t we be staying behind and doing a bit extra?’ He influenced a lot but what a special player as well."
Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp were a lethal duoBergkamp left Serie A at a time when it was the best league in the world as he struggled for minutes at the San Siro. Those at Arsenal though were quickly taken a back by his talent and all those who've played with him have hailed his ability.
Henry is among those, although the Frenchman certainly went on to have a more than productive time with the club. Regarded as perhaps the finest Premier League players of all-time, the 1998 World Cup winner left as the club's greatest marksman, but ranks just below Bergkamp for Parlour.
He added: "Dennis was the one that would always be in the right place at the right time when you were playing with him. He always read your mind. If I had a situation where I only had one pass, Dennis would read that and peel off the centre half and there he was picking the ball up in a dangerous area. So I think Dennis was a cut above everyone at that time. But Thierry would go very, very close for being the best as well."