Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has reserved special praise for Arsene Wenger after he became the club's longest serving manager.
On Thursday the French manager officially surpassed George Allison's 4,748-day record set 60 years ago after 13 years at the helm.
Henry insists Wenger has transformed Arsenal during his time at the club, changing them from a boring side into an attractive team to watch.
The striker thoroughly enjoyed his time with Arsenal and believes he could never imagine the club being without their French manager.
Tremendous
"Arsene has been tremendous for Arsenal football club," he told Sky Sports News. "He's done tremendously well.
"I'll never forget the club or him. He's been at Arsenal for 13 years. What a tremendous achievement. I don't see Arsenal without Arsene Wenger.
"I couldn't see Arsenal leaving Highbury, but it happened. I hope it will never happen for Arsene.
"He's the type of guy that you'd always associate with Arsenal, like Tony Adams, Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira and Bob Wilson.
"Arsenal was well known for being a boring team and he's changed that as soon as he arrived with the style of play and trophies we won.
"He didn't have to convince me too much to come to play for Arsenal because that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play for Arsenal full stop.
"I won't lie, it also helped that he was there. The best advice he gave me was, 'try to stop blaming others and try to see what you can do to help others'."
Henry was brought to the Gunners by Wenger in 1999 and he scored 174 goals for the North Londoners before joining Barcelona two years ago.
He was already a France international before moving, however, he was playing out wide for Juventus - something Wenger quickly altered.
Henry insists Wenger's man-management skills are among his best traits and that he comes into his own when it comes to getting the best out of his players.
Winger to striker
"He knew me from Monaco's youth-team. He saw me playing as a centre forward. He couldn't understand why I was playing as a winger," he added.
"I was already in the France squad and doing my thing on the left, he said to me, 'I don't want you playing on the left, you're wasting your time and you have to play through the middle'.
"He's the type of guy that makes you realise that you can do anything you want. Whenever a player comes to play for Arsenal they suddenly become better. I don't know why or how?
"He will let you do what you have to do when he knows that it is the time to let you play and on another side when he has to talk with you and be honest he will always do it.
"The most important thing is it is a pleasure to play under him and to train with him because he wants his team to play football. He's a great human being on top of everything."
Henry is being tipped to return to Arsenal in the future but, while he concedes he would love to return to the club, he currently cannot envisage in what capacity.
"I'd maybe watch a game or something like that. I really don't know. I'm trying to finish what I started 15 years ago," he said.
"I've always said you go back to where you belong. I've never stopped saying that I love Arsenal and I'll one day go back there. How? I don't know, maybe a waterboy.
"I just love the club and one day I'll go back. I'm not thinking about it right now."
a.top_betting_link_1 {background-image: url('/Images/skysports/fixturecal/icons/fix-bet.gif');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0% 50%;padding-left:18px;}
On Thursday the French manager officially surpassed George Allison's 4,748-day record set 60 years ago after 13 years at the helm.
Henry insists Wenger has transformed Arsenal during his time at the club, changing them from a boring side into an attractive team to watch.
The striker thoroughly enjoyed his time with Arsenal and believes he could never imagine the club being without their French manager.
Tremendous
"Arsene has been tremendous for Arsenal football club," he told Sky Sports News. "He's done tremendously well.
"I'll never forget the club or him. He's been at Arsenal for 13 years. What a tremendous achievement. I don't see Arsenal without Arsene Wenger.
"I couldn't see Arsenal leaving Highbury, but it happened. I hope it will never happen for Arsene.
"He's the type of guy that you'd always associate with Arsenal, like Tony Adams, Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira and Bob Wilson.
"Arsenal was well known for being a boring team and he's changed that as soon as he arrived with the style of play and trophies we won.
"He didn't have to convince me too much to come to play for Arsenal because that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to play for Arsenal full stop.
"I won't lie, it also helped that he was there. The best advice he gave me was, 'try to stop blaming others and try to see what you can do to help others'."
Henry was brought to the Gunners by Wenger in 1999 and he scored 174 goals for the North Londoners before joining Barcelona two years ago.
He was already a France international before moving, however, he was playing out wide for Juventus - something Wenger quickly altered.
Henry insists Wenger's man-management skills are among his best traits and that he comes into his own when it comes to getting the best out of his players.
Winger to striker
"He knew me from Monaco's youth-team. He saw me playing as a centre forward. He couldn't understand why I was playing as a winger," he added.
"I was already in the France squad and doing my thing on the left, he said to me, 'I don't want you playing on the left, you're wasting your time and you have to play through the middle'.
"He's the type of guy that makes you realise that you can do anything you want. Whenever a player comes to play for Arsenal they suddenly become better. I don't know why or how?
"He will let you do what you have to do when he knows that it is the time to let you play and on another side when he has to talk with you and be honest he will always do it.
"The most important thing is it is a pleasure to play under him and to train with him because he wants his team to play football. He's a great human being on top of everything."
Henry is being tipped to return to Arsenal in the future but, while he concedes he would love to return to the club, he currently cannot envisage in what capacity.
"I'd maybe watch a game or something like that. I really don't know. I'm trying to finish what I started 15 years ago," he said.
"I've always said you go back to where you belong. I've never stopped saying that I love Arsenal and I'll one day go back there. How? I don't know, maybe a waterboy.
"I just love the club and one day I'll go back. I'm not thinking about it right now."
a.top_betting_link_1 {background-image: url('/Images/skysports/fixturecal/icons/fix-bet.gif');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0% 50%;padding-left:18px;}
Comment