"The way he used to train was just not normal" - When Thierry Henry snubbed Lionel Messi and named Arsenal legend as best teammate

Thierry Henry once picked former Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp over Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane when asked to name the best player he had played alongside.

Henry is among the few players who shared the pitch with some football greats during his playing career. The Frenchman enjoyed his stints as a player with some European heavyweights like Juventus, Arsenal, and Barcelona.

Across the aforementioned clubs, Henry played with world-class players like Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Samuel Eto’o, Andres Iniesta, as well as Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane in the France national team.

In a live Facebook Q&A in 2015, Henry was asked to name the best player he had played alongside, and he chose Dennis Bergkamp, saying:

“Because of longevity, and because I saw him every day in training for seven years, Dennis Bergkamp. Why? Because he was always doing what the game was asking him to do. I admired how Dennis was always trying to respect the game. He could score but he could also pass and wait for the right moment…he was always trying to respect the game when he could do other stuff. I respected him a lot for that but also the way he trained.’’

“The way he used to train was just not normal. The guy didn’t want to lose the ball; he would foul you; get in your face; he wants to be first in the run.”

He added:

“But then I have to mention the freaks. Leo [Messi] is a freak. I think you guys [fans] do not understand what the guy is doing. Him, Zizou, all these guys, you cannot do what they do, because it’s not humanly possible.”

Thierry Henry shared the pitch with Dennis Bergkamp 216 times, and they both combined for 20 goals during their time together at Arsenal. He shared the pitch with Messi 89 times, and they both combined for 17 goals, while he played with Zinedine Zidane 64 times and combined for 5 goals.

When Lionel Messi said he did not dare to look Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in the face

Lionel Messi had once said he was starstruck upon seeing Thierry for the first time. Henry left his beloved Arsenal in 2007 to join Messi at Barcelona. At Arsenal, Henry was renowned for his pace and finishing ability.

When Henry joined Barcelona, Messi was just 20 years old. Upon Henry’s arrival at the Catalan club, Messi expressed admiration for the Frenchman and said he was scared to look at him in the face.

Lionel Messi told L'Equipe (via Mirror):

"The first day he entered the dressing room, I did not dare to look him in the face. I knew everything he had done in England. I had an image of him made and suddenly we were on the same team. What I feel for Titi may be a form of admiration.

"I loved Henry. The ease of finishing an action, how he takes the road to the goal and ends the play. He gives the impression that it is natural. His career, his dribbling, the last gesture. It is fluid, proportionate."

Both players would go on to win a plethora of trophies together at Barcelona, including the LaLiga and Champions League

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