Theo Walcott has joked that Thierry Henry will not be getting his hands on his old number 14 jersey when he puts pen to paper on a two month loan deal at the Emirates in the coming days.
The England winger inherited the famous jersey in 2008, a year after his mentor and Arsenal’s leading goalscorer moved to Barcelona. However, despite the near-certainty of Henry’s return to North London it looks as though the Gallic hitman will have to settle for the spare number 12 shirt – a jersey more associated with his international career.
Speaking to Arsenal Player about having Henry back in the squad, Walcott spoke positively about the 34-year-old’s influence:
“It’s great. I’ve got his shirt number now, but he’s not getting it back [even] if he comes back for a while. I’ve already told him that.
“It’s great having him in training. He’s a great finisher as always and a good leader around the dressing room.
“He’ll be very good for the young guys coming through, he’s so much experience. He’s been everywhere to World Cups and won leagues, so he’s only going to help on that side of the game. He’s another option [up front] as well.”
Having moved to Highbury at the age of 16, Walcott also admitted that his relationship with Henry is very different to that which he held five years ago.
“I’ve obviously played a lot more games now and gained more experience. I’m one of the senior players even though I’m only 22.
“I’m much more relaxed around the place, but still work hard which is important. I’m not star struck like I was before, I’m just normal now.”
I’m one of the senior players even though I’m only 22…. start playing like it then, week in week out, u little weasel… the ox is behind u boy
Is that what you shout at him during matches, ”get past your man you little weasel”, ”shoot weasel shoot” ? Class act that mate. Perhaps you should support from the toilets where the excrement doesn’t have that far to travel.
is your dog brown?
hahhaahh, wat r u, an ugly pundit?
U must be that Alan ‘wat’s-his-name’ you’ll never win anything with kids chap.
“…….even though I’m only 22”
It’s true, he is
Henryyyyyyyyyyyy
Oh well Theo it is only a number, Legend will tell you, you can have alot of things he did with us, 49 unbeaten, leagues, cups, goal scored, taken us to the CL final almost single handedly….. should I go on?
I didn’t realise Henry did all those things on his own. I’m sure the other 10 players who were part of each squad had nothing to do with any of it…..
Steve, did you see did with US and ALMOST?
Yeah go on and say that he mugged us right off in his last year at the arsenal.
Think you just covered that all on your own.
Arsenal
Straight to the point there fella.
IF Henry wanted the no.14 shirt Theo should give it to him. For two months you can wear a different number. After all, who is outside immortalized in bronze?
Except the shirt numbers are registered at the start of each season and any new player has to take an unused number. He could be called Thierry Walcott for 2 months i suppose
We could five him 7+7 or go all out and just give him 226.
Oh come on! 227 mate! Encourage him 🙂
1 – he wouldn’t want it and 2 – why should Theo give up his shirt number for a loan signing (regardless of his past)?
Really don’t mind what number he wears during this stint, just seeing that name Henry on the back of the shirt will be pleasure enough, lets face it, he will always be TH14 to us.
As for Theo, these few months that Henry will be spending at the club is probably doing him the power of good, he always looked up to him as a mentor and now at their respective points in their careers the relationship will most likely be much stronger. Good relationships off the pitch generally mean decent relationships and understandings on it.
Cygan’s left foot: I think you forget the magnificent defence (with flaming at left back!) who played a huge part in getting us to CL final that year.
You mean the makeshift defence that worked their arses off to stop us conceding only to be replaced in the final?
True, but one of the replacements was to thank for the goal!
while I am delighted to see the kings return, I must also take into consideration how this will affect our tactics and formation? for example where Wil Henry play? Wil he play out wide? Or Wil he play up front either on his own or with van persie? moreover will van persie play out wide? when Henry was in his pomp playing out wide and cutting inside wasn’t a problem because he was blistering quick, that was then, this is now, I suspect he could be used as a link up player just behind van persie, wherever he plays it’s… Read more »
P.S. in response to geoffs post, that flaming was some left back!!! why oh why did we ever let him go! please come back mr flaming,. Heh
Theo could still learn a few things off Thierry. Sad to see his petulance after being subbed at villa
theo is not a complete player yet, for som1 whos been around so long hes not as consistant as he should, learn a few tricks of the legend, am sick of just seeing him knock the ball past and run after it,, he rarely beats a player with trickery,and for heavens sake show some balls and shoot shen you get the chance instead of the common place misplaced square ball
Funny that you say that now. The last game he played in (vs Villa) he used his trickery quite brilliantly to go past a defender and win Arsenal a penalty.
For me he has established himself as one of the most important players for Arsenal. He’s a very consistent and industrious player when we defend, and has added a lot of consistency in his attacking game over the last two seasons. It’s just that people have unrealistic expectations about what he should do every game.
Henry won’t want no.14 back now that Walcott has turned it into his own jesters jersey. Should have retired the no.14 shirt after Henry left so that no player, especially someone like Walcott, could wear it again.
I suppose Thierry Henry is as big as Arsenal. Fuck it, let’s call ourselves Thierry FC.
idiots don’t understand sarcasm
Jonboy by name Jonboy by nature. Gimme 6 dude 😉
http://youtu.be/bTebxpuryvI – you might have to copy and paste but it’s Henry’s 226 goals in 14 minutes. Great way of eating up some time.
I noticed a lot weren’t due to pace but positioning and knowing where the ‘keeper was. Seems to me that his positioning will have only got better due to experience and he still seems to know how to shoot.
Very nice post Steve, I shall grab cake and beer and watch with pleasure.
Amazing video a trip down memory lane. The greatest arsenal striker ever
I predict us winning something wit TH14
Steve: that’s a great point and that decision still rankles with me, I was there and so disappointed the magnificent boys weren’t given the opportunity they deserved.
I think it was the reason for the loss but also seems to be Wengers biggest tactical flaw. Every competition our youngsters or reserves get us to the QF, SF or F and then he’ll bring in the first team and they balls it up.
I just think the players that got the team there were playing to show they could win something an be involved but then they are dropped after doing all the hard work.
Luckily, in recent years our youngster have also been in our first team so rotation hasn’t been as bad.
That year Chelsea knocked us out (Wayne bridge) of the champions league I really thought was our year. That team could and should have won the champions league
so happy he is coming back…even if it is only for two months
Walcott doesn’t deserve to wear number 14 for arsenal. He is one reason why we haven’t won a single trophy in such a long time. Why are people satisfied with the way this team is playing right now? We are just fighting for fourth place, is that the standard that should be set for Arsenal? No, I believe Arsenal is more than capable of competing for first each and every year. I still think Wenger can do the job but he needs to sell Arshavin, Walcott, and Chamakh. Then he should buy quality players like Goetze, Hazard, Neymar, etc. I… Read more »
agree , we need class players not just good players mata was a must this season, but we again failed to deliver someone on this site reckons walcott is better then bale, lmao, as a die hard fan you gotta be seriosely short sighted on that one , bales got pace,power,skill and a heck of a shot, whereas walcott simply has pace and in all these last 4 seasons theres been no serious improvement, imo, if we want to keep him , switch to 442 play rvp behind walcott, and use walcotts pace like owens until he runs out of… Read more »
What the fuck does his number have to do with anything?
Apparently a lot. The opposition team, errors or random bad luck have nothing to do with us losing or not winning a trophy, it’s down to Theo wearing #14….
Football Manager fan again. A huge deal of Robin’s goals have been from good work by Theo.
You probably think we need Cahill as well.
Great comment. This Arsenal team is unacceptable!!! We should be competing for the Premier League title every year. Hopefully Thierry can bring a spark to the team!
oops! This was a reply to gunnerforlyfe
So what if we dont compete for the title this year. (Or the last few years) At least this Arsenal team is more together than Chelsea (John Terry banging every teammates wife), Manchester City (fights on the pitch), Liverpool (there Liverpool) and Manchester United. This team has the most chemistry than any other Arsenal team in years. I could sense the togetherness of the team when I went to the Wolves game. Players like Per, Yossi, Chesney, Arteta, Santos, van Persie, Gervinho, Thomas, Sagna, Wilshere, Song and the rest bring a certain togetherness that was lacking from Arsenal. Plus this… Read more »
I care about points, not how together the team is. A team can have amazing chemistry and still not succeed. I couldn’t care less if everyone on the team are good buddies; when the team is winning, everyone is happy. You say this team would have beaten Liverpool and Blackburn???? This Liverpool team has drawn both the Manchester clubs and has beaten Chelsea twice. It would be far from a sure win like you seem to think. If you haven’t noticed, our form has begun to drop as well. You ask: So what if we don’t compete for the title??????… Read more »
Walcott is shit
And you are a cunt..
And there was I saying they would never re-sign him. Shows how much I know…
Sorry you gays, I was wrong on this one.
That certainly qualifies as the steel fist in the velvet glove. ”Sorry you gays” , I mean come on fella.
😉
Pretty stoked to see how Henry will fit in with the team (which I think can only help this team, considering our players all seem to take things in stride and turn negatives into positives).
On the other hand, “He’ll be very good for the young guys coming through” and yet there are very few apparent up-and-coming strikers at the club. If anything, bring in a young, but not too unpolished forward who can deputize for RVP and Henry and then if need be, make a bigger signing in the summer.
Thierrys arrival will remind everyone, especially the likes of Theo, how far they still have to go. Theo has really upped his game recently, bit I think this will br a healthy reminder of what it takes to reach the heights of the game.
Henry would have scored that 1 on 1 against QPR yesterday Theo. I don’t see Walcott as a “senior” player I must say. TV5 is a senior player. RvP is a senior player. Maybe that he is allowed see himself as “a senior player even though I’m only 22” is part of Theo’s problem. Look at Cesc at 22 Theo – that was a senior player. Look at Jack when he is 22 Theo – he will be a senior player. Theo is in danger of going from being a ‘next big thing’ straight to being a periphoral squad player.… Read more »
sorry walcot if henry return to arsenal for 1 day u must give him number 14 henry is a big part of arsenal history and u dont have to accept or reject number 14 will be 4 ever 4 henry number 14 must be forgotten for any player in arsenal after henry as number 3 for maldini in ac milan and to all people who support walcot in wearing number 14 please check again and see what henry done for our club WELCOME BACK OUR KING HENRY TH14 WILL BE FOREVER <3
well let’s see what his coming back will bring for the Gunners..