Arsenal legend Henry responds to Van Nistelrooy obsession claims

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says he wasn’t as obsessed about winning the Premier League Golden Boot as former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Rio Ferdinand recently claimed that the rivalry over being top goalscorer in the country meant Van Nistelrooy would be “sad” if Henry scored.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for United before moving to Real Madrid in 2006, with 95 of those coming in the Premier League.

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Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot award in all but one of the five seasons that Van Nistelrooy spent in England with Man Utd only lifting one title in that time.

However, Henry insists he wasn’t obsessed with catching Van Nistelrooy and just wanted to help his Arsenal team-mates win.

“It became a story between me and him because it was always him or me [to win the Golden Boot] but I don’t know if you remember I used to give penalties away…I used to give penalties away!” Henry said on an Instagram Live.

“When Edu played his last game for Arsenal and I was battling with Ruud van Nistelrooy for the Golden Boot I gave him the penalty.

“It’s because you ask me the question don’t get me wrong…but if you look at the number of my assists I gave in the game and sometimes i was in front of the goal and I squared it that would answer that question [whether he was as obsessed].

“I would not have all those assists if I was only just thinking about the Golden Boot.”

Henry added: “When I was upset was if I didn’t give an assist or I didn’t score.”

“Then I felt I didn’t help my team. Sometimes you can be amazing in a game without a goal and assist, sometimes really poor with a goal and assist so it depends on what people value.

“If I didn’t help my team in any shape that’s when I come on the bus and put my head down, maybe saying stuff I shouldn’t be saying because I get upset with myself.

“There’s a game in Sunderland where we were sure to be in Champions League and i gave Ljungberg three assists in the game and Ruud passed me with a goal.

“I could be greedy and play for myself but that’s how the game is. Ruud was an amazing striker, I had so many battles with him, he was a striker playing in an amazing team.”

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