Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Davis has welcomed the prospective return of Thierry Henry to the Emirates and is certain the former French international will bolster the Gunners on and off the field.
Davis is adamant the former Arsenal skipper will bolster Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s push for a place in the top four of the Premier League if he agrees a two-month deal, because of the example he will set to younger players and his overall footballing ability.
“To have a player of Thierry Henry’s stature coming back to Arsenal is fantastic for the players that are there and it’s great for the club as a whole even if it is just for two months,” Davis told Goal.com.
“It’s a great idea. It could be a win-win situation and I see no reason why it shouldn’t work out well. He is a fantastic character to have around the place both on and off the field. He is a fabulous role model, especially for the younger players that wouldn’t have got to play with him but will have heard so much about him and what he did for the club.
“His personality and the way he conducts himself mean that it will be great for players likes Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey to have him around and [for] Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, who will know him from his first spell.
“Because he is so experienced, Thierry will be able to show them the path forward and that has got to benefit the club. I can’t think of a better person to have around a group of young players than someone like Thierry Henry.
“It is all a big plus for me. To have someone like him around is a bonus.
“Having him around will really boost the chances of Arsenal finishing in the top four of the Premier League at the end of the season.
“What makes his so special, apart from his footballing ability which is there for everyone to see is his character.”
Davis, who made 447 appearances and scored 37 times for Arsenal between 1978 and 1995, is optimistic that Henry, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, still has what it takes to have a positive impact in the Premier League following a season of Major League Soccer in the United States with New York Red Bulls.
“Even if he is not at his very best as we saw when he was at Arsenal and then Barcelona, there can be no doubting that he has the skill, the pace and the all-round ability to do well for the club,” added Davis.
“I don’t know how fit he is but the manager and the coaching staff must feel that he is up to the appropriate level. No-one should doubt the manager’s judgement so there is no better person to come in than Thierry.
“The hardest thing will be actually playing in the games. I don’t know how easy it will be for him to fit back into things after being away for so long and spending the last season in America.
“It will be interesting to see if he can keep up with the pace of the Premier League now he is 34 but I wouldn’t bet against him having a really positive impact. He has that much quality – it’s just a matter of him getting up to the speed of the Premier League again."
Henry helped Arsenal win two Premier League titles and three FA Cups and remains Arsenal’s leading goalscorer with 226 goals in 370 games.
Davis, who is currently working for the Professional Footballers’ Association's coaching department, is confident that Henry's reputation will not be tarnished by his return.
“He is one of the best players that the Premier League has ever seen and if the manager does go ahead and offer him a deal it will be because he has seen enough when Thierry has been training with the rest of the squad,” said Davis.
“To come back and pick it all up again when he is four years older will be a challenge for him, I think, but there’s no way he will spoil the memories of Arsenal fans who used to worship him for the amazing things he did at the club.
“The interesting thing will be how he adapts to playing, whether that be from the start or whether he is used as an impact player from the bench, and whether he can create performances that will yield goals or create goalscoring chances.
"Ultimately, that is how this temporary spell will be judged. We will have to wait and see how much of a difference he can make out there on the pitch but off it he will do a fantastic job for the club."
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