Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is trying to put serious injury
and a disappointing Premiership season behind him and is looking
forward to banging in the goals once more.
"It's not easy. When you knew that the season was over, you gave
up. It is really difficult to deal with. It is also my first time
to miss so many matches," France's 1998 World Cup winner told media
in Beijing yesterday.
"I've rested for two months and I will get through it after
three months. It will be better next season."
"This year it was pretty difficult to see once again that we
finished so far way from the top teams," he said. "Sometimes having
a lot of youngsters in your squad - I'm not trying to look for any
excuses - you cannot have the same spirit, the same results.
Winning is a very difficult process. You just don't arrive
there."
"I will keep aggressive and focused. You have to go forward.
People will not care what happened before. Tomorrow is another
day."?
Arsenal finished fourth in the Premier League behind Manchester
United, Chelsea and Liverpool, and slumped out of the Champions
League against PSV Eindhoven in the second round.
Injuries, including a serious groin muscle strain he sustained
in the Champions League exit in March, will keep him out of
France's upcoming European Championships qualifying matches again
Ukraine and Georgia.
The two-time European golden shoe winner, who is visiting
Beijing as part of a China Tour organized by sponsors Reebok, also
took the opportunity to deny rumors that he may leave Arsenal for
Barcelona.
"Since I started playing football there has been speculation
about me going to other clubs," Henry said. "So that will never,
ever stop. But as I said, for now I'm an Arsenal player. So there
is nothing to add to it. For now I am an Arsenal player, so that's
all I can tell you."
British tabloids have repeatedly revisited Barcelona president
Joan Laporta's remarks about his desire to bring the striker to the
club, and Spanish newspapers have reported that the two sides were
"finalizing the signing".
"Right now I am just thinking that you always try for
perfection. You always have to be aiming forward."
Known for unstoppable speed and dribbling ability, Henry said he
thinks more about the chances he has missed than the spectacular
goals he has scored.
"There have been very good goals in my career. But I try to
think about the chances I missed and the things I did not do well.
It will push me to do better.
"Winning and losing are always long-term memories in the mind.
There is a taste of losing in your mind because you don't want to
taste it anymore."
Reebok is using the tour to promote its "Two People in Everyone"
slogan, and Henry was happy to share some details of his life off
the pitch.
"I am aggressive and physical on the pitch. But I want to be
laidback off the pitch. My life is simple and pretty boring," he
said. "I watch TV, play with my daughter and chat with wife like
everybody does. It's just a simple life."
When asked to give some suggestions to China's struggling team,
Henry said what people needed more than anything was patience.
"It takes time. You cannot master everything. It is like
gymnastics in France. We are trying hard but are still far
away.
"You (China) are still ahead in many (sports). In Europe,
football is almost everything. You are not bad at everything and
you always have a chance in football."
With an invitation to attend the Olympics from basketball star
Yao Ming, who also has a promotional contract with Reebok, Henry
said playing in next summer's European Championship might
interfere.
"But why not?" he said. "You never know what can happen. When
you receive an invitation like that you always have to take it into
consideration."
The increasing pressure of China's athletes with the 2008
Olympics looming reminds Henry of his World Cup debut in 1998.
France beat a strong Brazil side and won the trophy in front of
a home crowd at the Stade de France, and back then Henry was still
a relative unknown.
"It was just out of the world, winning the World Cup at 20, at
home, in front of everybody just around from where I grew up," said
Henry, who turns 30 in August. "The feelings were just too much to
handle."
He also hinted the 2010 World Cup in South Africa might be his
last international tournament.
"It will be amazing to play in Africa," he said. "It will be
actually, I think, my last tournament.
"I am happy to be playing football. Maybe there is one day you
wake up and you don't have the desire. Then I will stop."
(China Daily May 31, 2007)