Legend: Thierry Henry still trains with Arsenal during MLS off-season (Picture: AP)

Thierry Henry has revealed that a chance meeting with Arsene Wenger on a plane was behind his career-defining move to Arsenal.

The Frenchman arrived at Highbury in the summer of 1999 for £10.5million after an unhappy spell with Juventus, and went on to become the Gunners all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in 377 games.

However, it was a conversation with Wenger high above the skies of France that was the catalyst behind the transfer that brought the striker to north London.

Still scoring: Thierry Henry returned on loan in 2012 (Picture: AP)

Great: Thierry Henry celebrates a hat-trick against Liverpool

Early days: Thierry Henry with manager Arsene Wenger (Picture: AP)

Speaking in a new Arsenal Media documentary, ‘Arsenal Legends’, Henry said: ‘After Juve’s last game of the season, I went back to Paris, and who was on the plane? The boss was on the plane.




‘That’s when I told him I’d love to join Arsenal and that’s what happened.’

He added: ‘I arrived at Arsenal as a world champion [with France], but I was nobody, and rightly so.

‘I hadn’t done anything at Arsenal football club, I didn’t win anything – so who was I? I was just a follower at the beginning.’

‘Arsenal Legends – Thierry Henry’ is now available exclusively from iTunes.

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