Henry Has Plenty To Give

One of my enduring frustrations of last season was the tendency of the so called 'experts' and people in the sports media world to write off Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman has joined New York Red Bulls from Barcelona in one of the biggest deals the MLS has ever seen and I believe he can be a genuine success stateside.

If we turn the clock back 14 months, Henry was helping Barcelona win an unprecedented treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey.

Barca's front three of Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o were the hottest trio in world soccer for a season and the Frenchman scored 25 goals. He continually produced outstanding performances, whether on the left of the three, or moved into his favored central position.

I recall him torturing Real Madrid's World Cup winning right-back Sergio Ramos as Barca won 6-2 at the Bernabeu.

In the 2009/10 campaign he was beset by injury and lost his place in the team to the outstanding Pedro Rodriguez who dazzled in Spain's World Cup semi-final against Germany last week. When Henry did play, he was ineffectual and looked as though he had lost a yard of pace. By the end of the season he barely featured in the plans of coach Josep Guardiola, both parties fully aware that the end of Henry's Barca career was nigh.

Henry may not be the fleet-footed specimen he was earlier in his career, but one injury ravaged season seems to have produced an over-reaction. I cannot accept that a striker who played such a major role in one of soccer's most momentous club seasons can go from international class striker to deadbeat in such a short space of time.

He still has speed, he still possesses a superb first touch, and has lost none of the ability that has made him one of the most technically accomplished players of the last decade.

Click here  for betting information about Henry in his first season in New York.

Denis Doyle / Getty Images