- Thierry Henry has shared his all-time top five footballers, and the list is raising eyebrows for who’s not on it
- One underrated playmaker received massive praise for his vision and creativity on the pitch
- The surprising lineup leans heavily toward football’s golden era, rather than today’s superstars
Former Barcelona star Thierry Henry once listed his five greatest footballers of all time, and shockingly, Lionel Messi didn’t make the cut.
Now a respected pundit, Henry is widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in the modern era.
Source: Getty Images
His career began at Monaco, before a short-lived and underwhelming spell at Juventus. After struggling for form in Italy, he made a career-defining move to Arsenal in 1999.
It was in North London, under Arsène Wenger, that Henry’s game transformed. Originally a winger, he was repositioned as a central striker and flourished. \
He went on to spend eight memorable years with the Gunners, winning multiple trophies, including the Premier League title in the unbeaten 2003/04 season.
In 2007, Henry transferred to Barcelona, where he capped off his glittering career with a treble in 2008/09, including his first and only UEFA Champions League title.
Having seen generations of great players up close, from the touchline, on the pitch, and now as a pundit, Henry has had the privilege of observing the very best.
Thierry Henry names his football GOATs
During an appearance on The Greatest Game podcast in 2019 (via The Sun), Henry was asked to name his top five players of all time.
To the surprise of many, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo featured on the list.
Instead, Henry opted for a legendary group of old-school icons who defined previous eras of football: Diego Maradona, Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, and Michael Laudrup.
Henry had particularly glowing praise for the Danish playmaker Laudrup, whom he called the greatest number 10 in history.
“Michael Laudrup was a monster. He was the best 10 — and by that, I mean the kind of player who makes his team play. Too many number 10s just think about scoring,” Henry said.
“Laudrup… my god, the passes he made. On the ground, he’d split two lines of defence, and it was like the ball slowed down when it saw the attacker.”
Though his list raised eyebrows for omitting modern superstars like Messi and Ronaldo, Henry made it clear his choices were based on influence and elegance rather than just stats.
Source: YEN.com.gh
