Thierry Henry has told Arsenal's European Cup Final opponents Barcelona: "I'm not joining your team. I'm staying at Arsenal."

The Frenchman has put his love of Arsenal and London before the money he could have made in Barcelona. He is settled in North London with his English wife and English daughter.
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Henry signs four-year deal with Arsenal
19th May 2006


Bright future for Arsenal: Henry will stay with the London team for at least another 4 years, and will lead them out at their new 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium next season.



Thierry Henry has revealed his intention to finish his career at Arsenal after agreeing a new four-year deal with the club.

The 28-year-old Gunners captain, who was in the last year of his former deal, has announced his intention to remain with the north London club instead of moving to Barcelona, who were linked with signing the France international.

He will now lead the team into a new chapter in their illustrious history as they move into their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium for the start of next season.

"I've never played in Spain and I never will," Henry said. "I've played in France and Italy but this is the best country to play football and this is my last contract.

"I enjoy playing away or at home, getting stick. It's the passion I like. Here you can do your job in the right way - people here respect the player."

Henry has claimed the spirit shown by his team-mates in Wednesday's Champions League final defeat against Barcelona in Paris had helped him decide to stay.

He also said vice-chairman David Dein and manager Arsene Wenger had played a huge role in persuading him not to leave, as well as the response from Gunners fans since his arrival in 1999.

He said: "I think you all know, it's not a surprise but I'm staying here to play even longer for the club I love.

"It's been amazing since I joined, there had been so much speculation about me leaving - I won't lie, it crossed my mind. But I think with my heart and it told me to stay."

Tribute

Henry paid tribute to Dein and Wenger, telling a press conference: "Without them I wouldn't be talking to you. I just want to carry on writing the story of Arsenal with them."

Henry carried Arsenal to the Champions League final, and the fans in Paris and during the campaign played a role in making him stay.

"In the past year the fans have been more than amazing," he added.

"After the way we lost on Wednesday, I couldn't let them down. It was another thing to add and a positive thing to make me stay.

"I always refer to Arsenal as my home town. I have been welcomed with open arms, the love I receive here - sometimes from non-Arsenal fans - is something I can't forget about."

Henry added: "It is more than amazing for me. I said to the boss after the game on Wednesday that one of the most important things was what the team showed me. We can be so proud of what we did.

"The game reassured me of one thing I wanted to know - how far I can go with that team. They showed me they are a team with heart and lots of quality. I know we lost but I think you saw that quality, too.

"I said it [my decision] would come before the World Cup. I said I wanted to concentrate on pegging Tottenham back for fourth spot and then the Champions League final. After that was done I was very quick to make up my mind.

"I told the boss I wanted to stay. That was an important thing for me. There are so many things about why I decided to stay. Mr Dein, Arsene, the club, the fans, I just thought I could not left them down.

"I want to play Champions League football even more after what happened on Wednesday."


dailymail.co.uk

   

Finally some good news.
Finally a good thread from gb.

   

Fuck why cant he jsut go away!!!

   

THis means more to me than the Champions league even. Oh, thank God. Thank you GB. Thank you Hester. THank you Thierry. THank you thank you thank you!

(Yes, i know, fans can be dorks at times, eh?)

Hester, would have chosen a win on monday over Henry staying?

   

Wow, tough call. (I'm assuming you meant Wednesday, not Monday?)

I'd take Henry.


The team is young and things are looking bright. 11 losses and no trophies is a very poor year for Arsenal. But to make it to the Champion's League final and also earn a spot for next year isn't too bad for a rebulding year. Chelsea might be untouchable for a few years, but Arsenal are looking good as well.

   

I totally agree. We knew we were in for a tough patch as the youngsters found their feet, but they have done so remarkably quickly, and we have a bunch of new talismans that we can feel confident about.

And yes, I meant wednesday!

   

The Times May 20, 2006

It is a sign of Henry's value to Arsenal that Wenger considers his signature on a new contract to be more important than the European Cup

It was his teammates' spirited performance in the Stade de France on Wenesday that convinced Thierry Henry to remain at Arsenal





Henry adds key chapter to Arsenal's moving story
By Matt Hughes




IT IS a sign of Thierry Henry’s value to Arsenal that Arsène Wenger considers his signature on a new contract to be more important than the European Cup. An emotional week for the club ended happily yesterday with the France striker finally putting pen to paper on a new four-year deal worth £110,000 a week, which he expects to be the last of his career.

Such is his sense of relief that Wenger admitted he would have taken the retention of his captain ahead of victory in the Champions League final, largely because of his belief that Henry will lead Arsenal to another one.

“My target at the start of the week was to put everything right — to win the Champions League and keep Thierry,” Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “I managed only one, but for the future, it’s certainly the best one. If we wanted to continue the progression, I knew we would rely on Thierry’s decision. You cannot say this team will go much higher up when you lose your best player.

“For the progression of the team, it was vital to get this response. We would have had to cope with any decision, but it’s an insurance for the future of the team. I was confident that in the end, if the side showed they could compete with the best teams in Europe, he would stay.”

After prevaricating all season, Henry attributed his decision to the potential shown by his young team-mates and his love for Arsenal’s fans, who will be delighted to hear that he plans to end his career in North London. Europe’s leading clubs will undoubtedly come calling again next summer, but Henry insists that they will be wasting their time.

“This is my last contract,” he said. “This is where I belong. It’s where my heart is. That’s what I was thinking about as it’s my last big contract. It was about going somewhere or staying here, and you know the answer.

“What I’ve seen over past few months was enough to believe there’s a lot of potential here. It was not about the economic question, it was not about money. People want to give you a label as a footballer where it’s all money, money, money, but there’s love, there’s emotion, real emotion, real love. It’s not always about money, whether you stay or leave. For me it was my family, my love for the club and this passion in England that I don’t think I’ll find elsewhere.”

Having promised an announcement before the World Cup finals, it was his team-mates’ spirited performance in the Stade de France on Wednesday that convinced Henry to stay.

The 28-year-old admitted to being tempted by Barcelona’s interest, but with himself in the side, expects to be challenging for all the big honours with Arsenal next season.

“I won’t lie, I thought about it,” he said. “When this kind of team wants you, you have to think about it, but my heart belongs here. The team showed me on Wednesday that we would have done anything to beat Barcelona. They can be so proud about what they did and they reassured me in that performance how much they wanted it.

“With me in the team I’m even more confident. I go back to what the team has achieved over the past few months. The form they’ve shown recently is amazing, and I just wait to see what, with a little bit more experience, they can do. I was thinking if I do leave also, it would be more difficult for them to shine.”

Having pocketed £20 million from their Champions League campaign, Wenger has pledged to sign “one or two players of great calibre”, who should be far easier to attract with Henry at the club, according to David Dein, the vice-chairman.

“When we signed [Theo] Walcott, [Abou] Diaby and [Emmanuel] Adebayor, the first question they asked us was: ‘will we be training with Thierry’?” Dein said. “So Thierry staying has a fantastic influence when it comes to signing players, and it shows our ambition.

“He has given the fans such excitement, such entertainment, and is an iconic figure. This is a momentous occasion because we have kept Thierry Henry at Arsenal.”


thetimesonline.co.uk

   

Thierry has said over and over again that it's not about the money, it;s about the team, and the area that he lives in, his life and friends, and the fans. He recognises that money can't improve any of that, he sets a good example to the rest of the money-focused footballers. Even when he was considering going to Barca, I think it was more because he was unsure about the dedication of the team, than the money. Well done to the whole team for paying their hearts out even in those horrible conditions of 10-11, evil rain and a blind and biased ref. Most teams would have given up but they really gave it everything and more. With that attitude we're bound to win some silverware next year.

And nice to think we might, for once, be able to spend some decent money on a decent player. Aside from Reyes, we've barely spent anything on players in years. I think we need someone to replace Pires. As much as I think the guy has talent, he's not what he used to be, and he doesn't have the real drive any more. (Although he did, gasp, tackle Viera the other day which was pretty astonishing for him.)

Anyway, I am looking forward to next season.