Arsenal legend Henry heaps praise on wonderkid after Champions League performance
Tom Weber
- Updated: 26 Oct 2023 17:48 BST
- 4 min read
Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry waxed lyrical about Warren Zaire-Emery after a standout performance in the Champions League.
At 17, Zaire-Emery is already running the show for one of Europe's biggest clubs. The youngster put on an astonishing display as PSG put a limp AC Milan to the sword in the Champions League.
The French U21 international marched through Milan's midfield to set up Kylian Mbappe for PSG's first goal, created another big chance for his compatriot and finally assisted Lee Kang-in for his side's third and last goal. Unsurprisingly, Zaire-Emery was named the Man of the Match afterwards - and Thierry Henry showered him with praise.
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The Arsenal legend, who coaches him for the French U21, has been so impressed with the PSG youngster, in fact, that he handed him the captain's armband at the international level - again, he is just 17!
What did Henry say?
Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo after the PSG match, Henry said: “The way Warren Zaire-Emery is playing, it is not normal to run the show at just 17 years old. He was the only one that held his ground at St James’ Park [in the 4-1 loss to Newcastle]. He’s been magnificent…"
"The sky is the limit. I have never seen a player that young being so mature. Usually, you have youngsters that play as forwards that make the difference. But when you play in midfield for a team like PSG, you need to readjust. It is rare to see such a young player in that position."
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“I gave him the armband because I wanted to see the next thing. I know that physically, he is strong, he can run, he can see a pass, he can stop a counter. I want to know if he can also stop a player by talking."
"I gave him the armband to know if he could direct the team and talk. That was my way of seeing if he could do that, and trust me, he can. This guy has no limits.”
