Football: ‘I Could Have Won Five Golden Boots In A Row But Chose Not To’

Thierry Henry has played down his natural
ability as a goal-scorer, but insists he could
have won five Golden Boots in a row had he
been more selfish.

Arsenal’s record scorer – and in the eyes of
many, greatest ever player – was the
Premier League’s top scorer in four out of five
seasons between 2001 and 2006.
The only time he missed out on the gong
was in 2002/03, when Manchester United
striker Ruud van Nistelrooy pipped him to
it.

The Dutchman scored 25 league goals that
season while Henry scored 24 and assisted
23.
The World Cup winning Frenchman insists
he could have won it that year too, but
chose not to.
“I was a player that scored goals – I wasn’t a
goal-scorer,” Henry told ShortList.
“I was making passes. I could have won five
Golden Boots in a row. But, in 2003, in the last
game versus Sunderland, I gave Freddie
[Ljungberg] three goals.
“I’m battling with Ruud van Nistelrooy but I gave
him three goals. Is that the sign of a guy that
wants to win the Golden Boot?”
He added:

“I’m more proud of my assists than my goals. I’ve
said it many times. I gave people penalties. With
Edu [Gaspar], I gave him a penalty in his last
league game [in which Henry himself didn’t score].

I was fighting with James Beattie, but that was
better than winning the Golden Boot.
“If I had to score a goal, I’d score a goal. If I had
to make a pass, I’d make a pass. I try to do the
right thing at the right time.”
Can Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud match
Thierry Henry’s incredible years at the club?
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