Magnifique: Thierry Henry

For eight years, a boy from the banlieue of southwestern Paris blessed these English fields. He was grace, personified. Gliding through defenders with enchanting motion, something even the greatest poets could not describe. His aura was palpable.

Il était magnifique. He was Thierry Henry.

None quite did it like Thierry, which is why I see him as the Premier League's greatest-ever player. Whilst I wasn't old enough to understand football and its intricacies during Henry's golden era, re-runs of 'Premier League Years' and countless tapes of '100 Great Goals' taught me all I needed to know about Titi.

Many people look at Henry and critique him for 'not trying', when truth be told, he simply made the impossible look effortless. No one could get near him, not even the very best. His casualness was often mistaken for arrogance when really it was simple, he was just better than those around him - and made a point of proving so.

There is no better example of Henry at his best than the game against Real Madrid in 2006, his performance enchanting the occupants of the Santiago Bernabeu with sheer, unmatched poise. Partnered with an Arsenal x O2 linkup and a pair of Vapors, it was vintage Va Va Voom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzV4Ad5pwU4

That game is just one of many for Henry, a man who could quite easily drop a clinic when he wanted to. Most weeks featured a moment of magic from him, the archetypal inverted winger, who once cutting in from the left would have defenders and goalkeepers under his spell. He sat beyond expectations, constantly surprising people with whatever wonderous movement of the ball he had up those iconic long sleeves. A magician with woolen gloves.

People talk about auras, about Gerrard or Ronaldo or whatever footballer came to mind. But no one could compare to Henry in how he made you feel. As a child, and even now, I can't quite classify Henry the way I can with those aforementioned. He was electric, with sheer brilliance, from start to finish. I wasn't even aware of his prime, yet looking back on it, his talent immerses me in pre-Emirates Arsenal. A winning team. One which other sides feared.

Arsenal never replaced Henry, and how could they? He was irreplaceable. He was Arsenal at its very core, the very fragments of dwindling success in the mid-2000s rested on his calm shoulders. His departure marked the decline of Arsenal, and whilst now they are experiencing a much-awaited renaissance amongst their ranks, spearheaded by Bukayo Saka - the jewel in the crown for Arteta's Arsenal - I doubt they will ever reach those levels of fear and success they once exemplified.

Henry came, saw, and conquered. Bringing 'Va Va Voom' to English shores, and wheeling off with a such speed that the dust is still yet to settle. His impact was everlasting, they'll speak of him as prophets do of those departed.

For you, Thierry, we are eternally grateful.