France striker Thierry Henry completed his 24.0 million ($32.30
million) move from Arsenal to Barcelona on Monday saying that he
had come to the club to play a style of football he had always
admired.
Henry, who turns 30 in August, was unveiled at the Nou Camp
after passing a medical and signing a four-year deal with the
Primera Liga side.
"I'm delighted to be here and so pleased that I will have a
chance to show what I can do," Henry told a news conference.
"This is a club that wants to win everything and I will try my
hardest to help them achieve that. I'm going to give 100 percent
and I'm not going to be putting myself before the club.
"Barcelona play a style of football I've always admired. I want
to be part of that and to play in this great stadium and to enjoy
some amazing football.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said that signing rangy striker
had been a long-standing dream of the club.
"Thierry Henry is a player we've been after for many years and
now he's here," said Laporta.
"Johan Cruyff wanted to sign Thierry Henry when he was a young
player. When I was elected president in 2003 I wanted to sign him,
we also wanted to get him last year and today it is a great
pleasure to finally see him here.
"He is one of the best players in the world and given his
quality, experience and commitment he comes to Barcelona at the
perfect moment."
NUMBER 14
Henry was presented with the number 14 shirt, the squad number
he had at Arsenal and the same as that worn by Barcelona great
Cruyff.
The Frenchman offered a few words of fluent Catalan after being
presented with the shirt, saying his former Arsenal team mate Cesc
Fabregas had coached him on what to say.
With expectation reminiscent of that which greeted Ronaldinho
when he joined the club in 2003, an estimated 20,000 fans turned up
at the Nou Camp to witness the arrival of the French striker as he
walked out to the sound of the club anthem.
Looking rather taken aback by the reception he saluted the
crowd, juggled with the ball and posed for the traditional round of
photographs.
"I was very surprised to see so many people out there waiting,"
said Henry. "You don't even dream about things like that. It's true
what they say, Barcelona is more than a club."
Barcelona were denied a third straight Primera Liga title on the
final day of the season a week ago, losing out to arch-rivals Real
Madrid on head-to-head results.
A great deal of soul-searching has gone on since then after a
season with no silverware, and the club has moved quickly to
strengthen the squad and appease the fans.
FOCAL POINT
Henry was the focal point at Arsenal and their top scorer in
four of the five Premier League seasons between 2001-06, though he
spent much of the last campaign sidelined with injury.
He turned down a move to Barca and signed a four-year contract
with Arsenal after they lost to Frank Rijkaard's team in the 2006
Champions League final in Paris.
Now at Barca, Henry faces the prospect of having to find a place
in the one of the most feared forward lines in European football,
which includes Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, Brazil playmaker
Ronaldinho and Argentina winger Lionel Messi.
(China Daily via Reuters June 26, 2007)