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Thierry Henry expected New York Red Bulls players to be on his level

Thierry Henry expected New York Red Bulls players to be on his level

Henry ended his career in MLS and former teammate Bradley Wright-Phillips explained the incredible moment in training.

Thierry Henry ended his playing career in MLS and it seems the former Arsenal superstar couldn't quite understand the level his teammates were at.

Henry was recently voted as the best player in the Premier League's history, and was instrumental to two league titles with Arsenal, including their Invincibles season.

After moving on from England, he joined Barcelona and was an integral part of the front three, that also included Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o, who scored over 100 goals in a season.

Pep Guardiola's side won the treble, made up of the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League, with Henry in the side and defended the league title the following season.

After three years in Spain, the French forward moved across the Atlantic to join New York Red Bulls in the MLS, scoring 50 goals in four seasons, also returning to Arsenal for a short loan spell in 2012.

Henry with the Champions League trophy. Image: Alamy
Henry with the Champions League trophy. Image: Alamy

Henry might not have been playing at the same standard in those final years but it seems the 1998 World Cup winner still expected similar standards from his teammates.

The 45-year-old recently appeared on the Lade Out podcast, alongside Red Bulls teammate Bradley Wright-Phillips, who is sixth on the all time top scorers list in the league.

Wright-Phillips told one story of how Henry seemed to expect as much from his teammates as he did himself.


"I’m not asking you to take the ball and dribble past everyone," Henry said, trying to explain that he didn't expect the players to be on his level.

"Oh, well, one time," Wright-Phillips interjected, before going on to tell the story.

"One time we’re training. So the midfield, were trying to build out and got to score. We’re attacking, we’re doing build out.

"The midfielders at the time, they weren’t turning and they weren’t playing forward and I made the mistake of saying to T[hierry Henry], ‘Hey they’re all moaning saying it was too tight.’

"And T was like, ‘It’s not tight.’

"And I go T ‘It’s kind of tight’

"He looked at me like ‘Oh it’s too tight?’

"And I was like ‘they’re struggling.’

"So he runs back, gets the ball from the keeper, turns, bodies someone, dribbles past someone, plays me in, and I score.

"He’s just…I know now, as I’m jogging back, he’s going to be looking, I look and he’s like 'Is it still too tight? Is it still?'

"And I was just like “Bruh, not everyone can do that!” 

Henry explained, "It’s tough as a player because, like for me, I could see that it wasn’t tight. Because with my abilities and what I could see."

Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips get ready to kick off for New York Red Bulls. Image: Alamy
Henry and Bradley Wright-Phillips get ready to kick off for New York Red Bulls. Image: Alamy

Henry is still popular in the US thanks to appearing on CBS' excellent coverage of the Champions League, usually alongside Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Kate Abdo.

It's often all laughs in the studio but the former Montreal Impact manager is also more than capable of giving excellent views and analysis.

In a mixture of both, Henry recently demanded that Karim Benzema be named as the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or, telling the organisers to close the votes.

It won't be too long until we find out if they listened to him, with the award set to be given out on October 17th.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/Alamy

Topics: Thierry Henry, Arsenal, MLS, USA