SUMMARY
- Thierry Henry combined his tenacious quality to score goals and his ferocious speed to become one of soccer's all-time greats.
- Before doing punditry for the American soccer audiences, the Frenchman was tearing soccer tournaments with his extraterrestrial speed.
Thierry Henry is easily one of the fastest soccer players that the game has ever seen. It is one thing to be fast, and another to be fast with the ball at your feet. The Frenchman therefore, possessed incredible skills to outsmart the defenders and still run fast with the ball. The 46-year-old combined his tenacious quality to score goals and his ferocious speed to become one of soccer’s all-time greats.
Thierry Henry after his retirement has been seen as a television pundit and a coach. The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner has formed a great partnership at CBS Sports with his fellow pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards along with host Kate Abdo.
But, before doing punditry for the American soccer audiences, the Frenchman was tearing soccer tournaments with his extraterrestrial speed.
In the spirit of F1 today, look at the speed on Thierry Henry ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/6ZkRW7RaOB
— Av (@aviv_lavi) November 14, 2021
The former Arsenal legend during his prime, clocked mind-boggling speeds. In a World Cup 1998 match, the Frenchman reportedly clocked around 24.3mph, a record equivalent to some of the Olympic sprinters.
The game of soccer has seen many swift forwards in its long history. But, not all of them have been as efficient in front of the goal. This is perhaps what sets Thierry Henry apart from the rest. The former FC Barcelona player could intertwine his raw speed with composure in front of the opposition’s goalkeeper to score a record number of goals for his clubs and country.
It was evident in many of his goals. The way he outsprinted opposition players with his speed and skills against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2022 was remarkable. He once famously sprinted the whole pitch against Real Madrid and made a mockery of Real Madrid defenders in their corner flag. That has to be one of the most epic time-wastings of all time.
Thierry Henry admits that he could have never been an Olympic sprinter despite his speed
Despite his speed, the Frenchman does not believe that could outrun an Olympic sprinter in a 100-metre dash. The 46-year-old agreed that soccer and sprinting are two very different sports. The two-time Premier League winner admitted that he had no real technique while running and could not compete with Olympic sprinters.
He stated this during a two-part documentary in 2023 to commemorate one year until the Olympics 2024 in Paris. Henry said (via Mirror), “Not to make a joke, but you have to stay in your lane. I could play football, it’s different, you know. I had zero technique, I was running out of sheer power.
Thierry Henry admired the training and techniques of the athletes. He also depicted how foolish it is to compare soccer with athletics, due to the sheer differences between the two sports. He said, “Because those guys train, the technique, the way they come out of the starting block, the way they run, they count their steps. I never thought about it.”
18 years ago today, Thierry Henry rinsing Roberto Carlos and Luisao ⚡ [@Souster98_YT]pic.twitter.com/xgipFKoLmN
— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) May 20, 2022
“People always used to ask me, how quick would you have been on a one on 100 metre dash? And I was like, I don’t know. The most you’re running in the game is 40 meters, 50 if you go on the counter. I have too much respect for those guys.”
The former Arsenal player despite his love for Athletics confessed that he wouldn’t have anything in life other than playing soccer. Thierry Henry also revealed that he’s looking forward to the Olympics in 2024.
Henry Insists on Having More Speed than Kylian Mbappe
The incident took place on a Sky Sports video posted on YouTube in 2021. The video featured French star Kylian Mbappe, Thierry Henry, and British boxer Anthony Joshua. It was filled with fun and banter with the trio as the three tried to talk sports via video conference during the pandemic when the world had come to a halt. However, an interesting incident happened in the video that had fans laughing.
Anthony Joshua had asked both Kylian and Henry the question about who, in their prime would win in a race. Henry, hesitated a bit to answer the question but meanwhile, Kylian quickly pounced, to declare that he would have been the winner.
A bewildered Thierry Henry looked puzzled at Kylian’s answer. However, after a fun bit of banter cleared the air about the importance of speed and skills in soccer and also praised Kylian Mbappe. He said, “Listen, we can never know, it’s not only about speed. It’s about how fast you can be with the ball.”
Thierry Henry then went on praising Kylian about his sheer speed and at the same time his quick feet and wittiness to outsmart the defenders. It is safe to say, that Anthony Joshua received an apt received to his sly question.