Thierry Henry made a fantastic comeback for his beloved Arsenal FC a year or so ago, where he scored a goal at the Emirates sending thousands of Gunners in to a frenzy. Something wasn't quite right though, not only were Arsenal a shadow of their former selves since Henry's glory days but they were in a strange place.

Watch any footage of Henry dazzling defenders and simply making them look terrible and a fair amount of it is within the walls of Highbury. The Emirates is a big, bad and beautiful stadium but Highbury is home and it was the back drop of Highbury that led me down the rather interesting path of being a Gunner.

Every Sunday or Monday night, the now completely useless 6pm news would have my attention. Initially because it was what my parents watched, but after seeing highlights of yet another Arsenal win in which this bloke glided across the turf, it became a weekly staple.

Thierry Henry lured me in, he is the reason why I support Arsenal. Highbury was his blank canvas and boy was he some sort of artist. These days strikers tend to offer one skill set, whether it be an aerial master or a quick footed dynamo but Henry had it all.

The pace, he was a winger so his pace was without question but wingers aren't known for their strength. Henry could hold off any defender in the world, whether Henry was stationary or on the move, you weren't getting the ball. He could head the ball and he could bang it in from distance. He had the feet of a dancer and the audacity of a younger sibling, he could finish from anywhere on the field and any highlights package of Henry show him picking up the ball deep, then simply galloping away from defenders. He wanted the ball because he could do whatever he wanted with it.

Henry was very fortunate to have the players around him that gave him the freedom to do as he pleased. Throw Henry in to the current Arsenal team and it's hard to imagine him having the same success, they weren't the Invincibles because they had Henry. They were a group of excessively talented footballers who formed the Invincibles.

But I wouldn't give a shit about Patrick Viera if Henry hadn't tickled my tastebuds. I wouldn't know of Robert Pires or that Ashley Cole once reigned supreme on the left flank for Arsenal before he went elsewhere. My love for Arsenal is thanks to Henry, who is now a retired footballer.

Henry is arguably the best striker English football has ever seen, he's the best striker I've ever seen. No one has really come close to him, which is cool because there have been and are many sensational players, they are all different. But since he departed the Gunners, Henry's actions have never been replicated by anyone, let alone that Bendtner guy.

Somehow Mr Henry, you made a lad from South Auckland love football and Arsenal. You made him dream of seeing you weave between defenders and whack a few in, you made me want to feel the vibes and energy of Highbury. Job well done I reckon.