Stunning pace and increasingly unerring finishing have made Henry the darling of Highbury and a star of the French national team, and once he gets going he is incredibly difficult to stop.

Took a little time to find his feet in English football following his debut against Leicester in August 1999 but ended the 2000/01 season as the club's top scorer.

Began his career at Monaco, where Wenger first spotted him as a youngster, and signed for Juventus in 1999 before the Gunners snapped him up for £10.5million.

Won World Cup and European Championship winners' medals with France and is now one of the most lethal finishers, and most coveted strikers, in Europe.

Had another good 2000/01 season, netting a number of vital goals as Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and finished runners-up in both the Premiership and the FA Cup.

Henry himself did everything bar scoring in the 2001 FA Cup Final itself.

His reaction to defeat characterised exactly why the fans have taken to him: 'I want to stay at Arsenal. I'm not the kind of guy who thinks: "I want to leave because we will never do anything"... I want to come back and fight to win everything with Arsenal, especially the Championship.'

Henry came back for the 2001/02 determined to realise his dream, and it was the Frenchman's superb return of 32 goals which propelled the Gunners to the Double. Finally some silverware for the striker at Highbury.

However, the 2002 World Cup did not go well for Henry and France. The holders would be knocked out of the finals in the group stage without scoring a goal, and Henry would be sent off in the second group game against Uruguay for a late lunge.