Thierry Henry has claimed that nobody at Arsenal thought one player would reach the level that he has done now.
The Gunners have several world-class players in their squad. They are among the best teams in the world right now, and Mikel Arteta deserves huge praise for what he’s done.
Henry is arguably the greatest footballer Arsenal have ever had. He has now heaped praise on one player who has been brilliant for the club in recent years.
Thierry Henry delivers verdict on Arsenal star Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is arguably Arsenal’s best player right now.
The Englishman was absolutely outstanding in the 2023/24 season. He scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists in what was a very impressive individual campaign.
Saka is a superstar now, but Henry knows him from when he was just a kid in Arsenal’s academy.
The legendary Frenchman worked with the youth sides at Arsenal when he was getting his coaching badges, and he trained Saka at the time.
Henry has now revealed that nobody at the club thought Saka would become the player he is today.
The France U21s manager also touched on the difficult period in Saka’s life after he missed his penalty in the final of the last European Championships against Italy.
Henry raved about how Saka has managed to bounce back since.
Speaking to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, Henry said: “He has a coach in the national team that can help him because that happened to him, and he has a family. You just need to go out there and once again perform. You perform and people will forget. And that’s exactly what he did.
“I know Bukayo for a very long time, since the academy. I don’t think anyone thought he was going to be what he became. There was a lot of hope. But what he has been doing is just outstanding!
“He’s so humble, the way he sees the game… defending well, attacking well, clever the way he holds the ball, now he’s adding goals and assists to his game.
“To remember the guy that I saw in the academy early doors and see what he became… when you have the will, that grit, that desire and work ethic – talent can be one thing but if you don’t have that, you’re going nowhere. He has that!
“Trust me, it’s not easy. I never had to deal with that, missing the penalty and everyone is looking at you and getting abused like that. But like I said, it speaks volumes about his mentality, how he is and the people he has around.”
READ MORE: Ian Wright shares whether he would swap Bukayo Saka for prime Thierry Henry right now
The one underrated Saka trait that nobody talks about
Saka is absolutely incredible with the ball at his feet.
The Arsenal number seven is a fantastic dribbler, he can take people on and have a positive impact with both feet inside the box.
The one trait Saka possesses that nobody really talks about is his strength.
A Premier League defender recently told an Arsenal insider that Saka is one of the strongest players in the entire English top flight.
“His strength, I was speaking to a Premier League full-back about a month before the season ended and he said that Saka is one of the strongest players they’ve played against.
“The player said to me that the two strongest players he’s played against pound-for-pound are Sterling and Saka. Sterling is very quick as well, but he was always known as the strongest player in the league pound-for-pound.”
The amazing thing for Arsenal is that Saka is still only 22 years old. He can become so much better in the coming years, which is scary if you’re a fan of a rival club.