It was a scene, fittingly enough, that caused those watching to raise their eyebrows with excitement. At the Landmark Hotel in London in January, the Football Writers’ Association awarded Dennis Bergkamp a place in its hall of fame, which gathered a lot of Arsenal’s most celebrated figures, including Arsene Wenger. Thierry Henry was sitting beside Ian Wright, and there was a natural sense of bonhomie. What was most striking, however, was when clips from Bergkamp’s career were shown. Henry and Wright didn’t quite sit back in awe, as most did. They began to mutter into each other’s ears, pointing out little movements and finishes, and what they might have tried. “Look what he’s done there.” It was all the more resonant an image given what Wenger had been talking about in his speech. The former Arsenal manager celebrated Bergkamp’s ingenuity while talking about how the modern game might have lost that capacity “to be surprised”.
Henry never lost that, as can be seen in his own highlight reel. There was that flick-up and turned-volley against Manchester United, the back heel against Charlton Athletic, and so many individual goals. He personified the idea of individualism enhancing a collective – a sense of surprise complementing the structure.
