AC Milan are convinced Thierry Henry would have joined them if he had left Arsenal.

The French superstar recently signed a new contract with the Gunners after their heartbreaking Champions League final defeat.

He'd been linked for months with a move to Arsenal's Paris conquerors Barcelona, but Milan chief Adriano Galliani claims he could have been heading for the San Siro instead this summer.

"The dream in our hearts was Henry, who would have joined us had he not decided to remain at Arsenal," he said.

"I wanted him because I rated him as a player but now I appreciate him much more from a human point of view."

France striker Thierry Henry was happy with the progress his side showed in their 2-0 victory over Denmark despite insisting there is still room for improvement.  A first half goal from the Arsenal forward and a penalty in the second by former Gunners team-mate Sylvain Wiltord erased the bad memories from the nations' last encounter at the 2002 World Cup, when a 2-0 win for Denmark saw Les Bleus eliminated at the group phase.

'We defended well and we showed interesting stuff in attack,' said Henry. 'It's nice to play like that against a difficult team like Denmark, who really hurt us in 2002.

'We kept our cool and scored at the right times, which allowed us to relax. We were not threatened in defence either, and when you don't concede a goal, you can win.

'We are clearly getting better, even if there is always a margin of progression. This match was not perfect and there are still a few things to brush up.'

Henry scored his 32nd international goal, taking him one step closer to Michel Platini's 41-goal record, but he claims he does not care whether he beats it.

'It's important everyone in the team scores goals ahead of the World Cup in Germany. I don't like records, this is not my thing.'

France's last friendly will take place in Saint-Etienne on June 7 against China before they travel to Germany the following day.

Having had a dig about the post-Paris whingeing, it seems only fair to give one almighty thumbs-up to Thierry Henry's decision to stay at Arsenal.

I for one was starting to get withdrawal symptoms at the thought of Match of the Day without my favourite Frenchman.

I understand many people wrote in objecting to me calling Henry as a loser. They pointed out that he has won Premiership titles, FA Cups and a World Cup. True. I'll let you have that one.

But, he was a loser on Wednesday night, in the sense that he lost. And unless you were all too hungover - or still drunk - that should have made perfect sense.

Having said that, the Premiership is the winner now this man - to my mind the finest player our league has ever seen - is hanging around to entertain us for a while longer.

God bless you, you occasional loser, you.

Tonight's the night.

The Champions League Final. The Stade de France, Paris, 77,000 screaming fans creating an electric atmosphere in a footballing hotbed.

It's a night that is tailor-made for Thierry Henry.

The Arsenal superstar will lead his men out to battle on home turf, knowing that by the end of it he may just crown himself the 'King of Paris.'

And if anyone can do that, it's Henry.

He is currently regarded as the Lord of North London, the hero of Highbury. Now he has the opportunity to take on an even bigger persona.

But another man is ready to take on the Gunners' striker - Ronaldinho.

While many will be watching this particular aspect of the game with great interest, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is keen to play down the notion of Henry v Ronaldinho spectacular.

He said: "First it is Arsenal against Barcelona and not Thierry Henry against Ronaldinho.

"It is very important to keep that priority in our minds. Like every big player he (Henry) will be under a lot of pressure. But if the team play well, Thierry will play well."

When he is on top of his game, Henry is the best striker in the world

Northern Ireland captain Aaron Hughes has revealed what it is like to play against Thierry Henry and Arsenal in full flow.

Hughes was in the Aston Villa side earlier this season when the Gunners romped to a stunning 5-0 victory in a Premiership fixture at Highbury.

Henry was at his most majestic scoring goals and creating havoc.

Hughes believes that if the Arsenal skipper hits his peak in tonight's final that even the giants of Barcelona won't be able to live with him.

"When he is on top of his game, Henry is the best striker in the world. He has so much pace, it is frightening for defenders and he also makes the really difficult things look easy," says Hughes.

"In that 5-0 game he was just awesome. When he plays like that it is impossible to stop him, no matter who you are.

"That day Arsenal were at their best and they virtually made the game into a five-a-side match.

"I don't think their goalkeeper Jens Lehmann kicked the ball out once.

"He rolled it out to a defender and then they started from there. When they got their passing going, we couldn't get near them. They were very impressive in that match."

Henry's final flourish

Now is the time for Thierry to play the game of his life

There was a time when Thierry Henry was criticised for under-performing on the big occasion.

He can hardly be accused of that now, but if he wants to explode the myth, once and for all, tonight in the imposing Stade de France is the perfect time and place to do it.

Champions League final. Paris. Arsenal v Barcelona.

In club terms it really doesn't get much bigger or more exciting than that.

Henry, of course, scored the goal that overcame Barca's fierce rivals Real Madrid earlier in the competition.

Many Nou Camp members cheered that fabulous strike claiming it was effectively the first goal he had scored for them, adding that it would not be the last.

One of the most debated facets to this game is the notion that Henry will be playing for his current club against his next one.

He may stay, he may go.

Much more important than Henry's future though is his present.

Somehow you can't imagine the Gunners winning unless he flourishes in the final.

He has the speed, the skill and as captain the will to play the game of his life and torture Carles Puyol and his Barcelona team-mates at the back.

At 28, this will be his first Champions League final.

And even though he would like to think there will be more, sometimes it doesn't work out like that.

Better make the most of it then Thierry. Turn on the style. Turn up the heat. And thrill us all. This is your moment.

Henry's friend and enemy for the night Ronaldinho will of course feel the same way.

This is not just a final to decide the Kings of Europe.

This contest will tell us who the best player on the planet is with the World Cup approaching.

Henry will look to Cesc Fabregas and Aleskander Hleb to provide silver service for his golden feet. And keep an eye on Freddie Ljungberg's runs from deep which I feel could prove crucial to any Arsenal success.

For Barcelona the brilliant Deco, Samuel Eto'o and Ludovic Guily are key figures alongside the Brazilian maestro.

In between taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower, as each hour passes here the concern about the quality of opposition among Arsenal fans is being replaced by confidence in what their team can do and especially that man Henry.

Big matches are made for big players.

Before his epic display in Cardiff on Saturday, Steven Gerrard proved that point in Istanbul one year ago when leading Liverpool to Champions League glory.

Now Henry must do the same.

Like last year's classic extra-time and a penalty shoot-out is a possibility.

If that is the case you would fancy the Gunners with German Jens Lehmann in goal.

But it may not go that far.

Should Arsene Wenger's men win, it would be fitting if it were '1-0 to the Arsenal' with a thunderbolt from Thierry.

Gunners fans, though, may just end up disappointed, with the royalty of Barcelona proving too much, even for King Henry.

As the sun set on the last-ever matchday at Highbury, Thierry Henry was one of the last people to leave the pitch.
 
His love affair with the stadium began way back on August 7, 1999 when Henry was involved in the Frank Sinclair own goal which clinched victory against Leicester. More than six years later, Henry bid Highbury farewell with a delicate kiss of the turf after completing his hat-trick against Wigan.
 
“My celebration said it all,” said the ground’s most prolific striker. “I kissed the ground goodbye.”
 
Having reluctantly walked off the pitch long after most of his team-mates had gone home, Henry explained why the ground was a little more special to the more senior members of the squad.
 
“I think it's was a bit strange everyone left like that,” he said.
 
“But at the end of the day I think some of the players in the team are really young and haven't won a lot here, so maybe it was less special for them.
 
“But Dennis [Bergkamp] is still here, I'm still here, Ashley [Cole] was there. People who played a long time here were sitting there enjoying it. Me and Ashley were saying to ourselves ‘we don't want to leave’. Highbury is just a special place.”
 
But despite the overwhelming nostalgia of the day, Henry exhibited one of the qualities that have elevated him to such star status — his peerless professionalism.
 
“Party? No. I'm going to go home,  to chill  - and now I'm definitely starting to think about the Champions League Final,” he said.

Arsenal thrashed Sunderland 3-0 to keep their hopes of securing fourth place in the Premiership alive.

In front of 44,000 people and Niall Quinn, Sunderland's potential new owner, the relegated home side never looked like mustering a first win of the season at the Stadium of Light.

Arsenal never reached their fluent best but still scored three first half goals to see off the Sunderland challenge.

The home side looked a match for the Champions League finalists until Danny Collins headed into his own net after 29 minutes after a Thierry Henry free kick.

Henry had had a sloppy start to the game but suddenly found form, and a slick pass picked out Cesc Fabregas who made it 2-0 with a cool chip after 40 minutes.

The Frenchman himself made it three minutes later with a cheeky free kick from 20 yards out on the left.

Henry saw that noone was covering the near left post and simply curled a quick free kick into the unguarded net to put the match well and truly beyond Sunderland.

The away side barely got out of third gear in the second period as manager Arsene Wenger took the chance to rest some key players.

Arsenal were left shaking their heads when Dan Smith fouled midfielder Vassiriki Diaby in the dying seconds, with the Frenchman looking seriously injured.

The good news for the away side, and England, was the return to action of left back Ashley Cole, who has missed over seven months of this season through injury.

Arsenal are now four points behind fourth-placed Spurs with a game in hand.

The Gunners have Manchester City away and Wigan at home, while Spurs have to play West Ham on the final day of the season.

The 28-year-old Frenchman has enjoyed another imperious campaign for The Gunners, playing an instrumental role in guiding Arsene Wenger's side to the UEFA Champions League final.

Henry becomes the first player in 59 years since the inauguration of the award to scoop the top trophy on three separate occasions, bettering the efforts of Sir Stanley Matthews, Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Gary Lineker who have all won it twice.

At the start of the season Henry was handed the captain's armband due to Patrick Vieira's surprise move to Juventus and he has flourished with the extra responsibility, breaking the club's all-time goalscoring record and leading his side to a first ever European Cup final.

Henry will receive his award at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, in London, on Thursday May 11.

Thierry Henry  is likely to sign a contract extension, according to Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman.

The 28-year-old's deal expires in mid-2007 and Edelman believes Champions League success would persuade the club captain to stay.

"That would help," Edelman told BBC Radio.

"It is over 50% probability he will stay."

"We've got a new stadium to go to and we've got a great group of youngsters who show we're a team for the future. I think he will stay."

Henry has been rumoured to be making a move to Spain - to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Speculation of Henry's departure has increased as Arsenal have had their worst league season under Arsene Wenger, but have hit back in recent weeks and are now favourites to finish fourth and claim a qualifying spot for next season's Champions League.

The Gunners' incosistent Premier League form has been overshadowed by their run into the Champions League quarter-finals - where they hold a 2-0 lead over Juventus going into the second leg.

"When he (Henry) sits down in the cold light of day we're a team for the future," Edelman added.

"I think Arsene has developed another great team and you're seeing it develop in front of your eyes. When you watch that and play with that it's very exciting."

Thierry Henry powered Arsenal to an emphatic 4-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage last night. This is a rare away win for Arsenal who have been poor visitors this season and have slipped to the sixth spot in the Barclays Premiership. They are also out of the FA Cup, but are still in the Champions' League and in fact hold a 1-0 advantage over Real Madrid going into the second leg.

At the Cottage, Henry was in magical touch as he powered shot after shot before he finally found the net in the 31st minute. It was Diaby's penetrative pass that found Henry and the Frenchman rarely misses such gilt edged chances. Adebayor doubled the Gunners' advantage minutes later as he latched onto a Freddie Ljungberg pass. Thereafter it was all Arsenal as the Gunners gained complete control of the game. Henry added a second goal in the 77th minute as Arsenal extended their lead. Fabregas finished the formalities with a neat effort on 86 minutes.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman admitted that it was his team's worst performance, "Thierry Henry put in one of the best performances I have ever seen and they sent out a warning sign to everybody else," he said. "We have got no complaints because we were poor on the day. We didn't create any chances and they looked like scoring every time they came forward." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team was still developing, "We have shown a lot of mental strength recently and that is very encouraging. Thierry was immense but I think the whole team played very well."

Thierry Daniel Henry (born August 17, 1977 in Les Ulis, Paris) is a French football player. He currently plays as a striker for the French national football team, and for English club Arsenal, where he is the club's all time leading goalscorer in both league matches and all competitions.

Henry is considered one of the most dynamic attacking players in the game today. He has surpassed Ian Wright to take over as Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with over 200 goals for the club. Although he plays as a striker, his versatility at all aspects of the game makes him more influential than many traditional strikers, and he often drops deep to receive the ball from midfield. Combining speed, vision and creativity, he creates nearly as many goals as he scores. Among other things, Henry is well known for his blistering pace and lethal finishing which has put him at the top of the FA Premier League's scorers and he claimed the Golden Boot in 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Biography

Henry trained at the French Football Federation's academy at Clairefontaine and played at a youth level for CO Les Ulis (1983-1989), US Palaiseau (1989-1990), Viry-Châtillon (1990-1992) and FC Versailles (1992-1993). He started his professional career at AS Monaco, given his début by then Monaco manager Arsène Wenger at the age of 17. At Monaco, Wenger put Henry on the wing as a temporary measure because the line was already led by Brazilian striker Sonny Anderson.

The Frenchman made his international debut in October 1997 against South Africa. He played in Les Bleus' 1998 World Cup success, and was joint-top scorer for France with three goals; he also was part of the Euro 2000 winning squad, scoring a further three goals. He was also leading goalscorer and named player of the tournament as France hosted and won the 2003 Confederations Cup.

Having impressed in the 1998 World Cup, Henry left Monaco and moved to Italian club Juventus in January 1999 for £14 million. There, he was made to play on the wing, and in an unfamiliar position was unable to cope with Italian defensive discipline, scoring just three goals while starting only 12 games for the Bianconeri.

Unsettled in Italy, he transferred from Juventus in August 1999 to Arsenal for £10.5 million, reuniting with his former mentor, Wenger. At Arsenal, Wenger converted Henry into a striker, where he has flourished ever since. In the seven seasons he has been at Arsenal, Henry has been the club's top goalscorer for every single one. He was made Arsenal captain in the summer of 2005, succeeding the recently departed Patrick Vieira. Regarded by many as the best striker in Arsenal's history, on October 18, 2005 Henry became the club's top goalscorer of all time; two goals against Sparta Prague meant he broke Ian Wright's record of 185 first-class goals. On February 1, 2006, he scored a goal against West Ham, bringing his league goal tally up to 151 and thus breaking Cliff Bastin's Arsenal league goals record. He also contributes a large number of assists - most notably 20 in the 2002/3 season - an all-time Premiership record.

Henry has received many plaudits and awards. He was runner-up for the 2003 and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award while helping Arsenal to an unbeaten record (26 wins, 12 draws) in the Premiership. He has also won both the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice. In 2004/5, despite Arsenal being the runners-up in the Premiership, Henry emerged with the European Golden Boot - the award for the top goalscorer in Europe - for the second consecutive year (albeit sharing with Villarreal's Diego Forlan in 2005).

Henry has appeared in television advertisements for Nike, Pro Evolution Soccer, and Renault (once with his English model girlfriend Nicole Merry, whom he married in July 2003) and will soon front adverts for Pepsi. On May 27, 2005, Henry celebrated the birth of his first child, Tea Henry. Henry and his family live in Hampstead, north London.

In January 2006, the Spanish media reported that Henry would sign for FC Barcelona at the start of the 2006-07 season. However, Henry has repeatedly stated his desire to stay with Arsenal., although as of February 15, 2005 he has not signed the new contract Arsenal are offering.