NFL superstar reveals Arsenal fandom: 'I wanted to be just like Thierry Henry'

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Record-breaking Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has revealed that he grew up idolising Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to the beautiful game. Aubrey is one of the most well-known figures in the NFL because of his unusual career path, which took him from professional soccer to American football.

The Missouri native played soccer at Notre Dame and was even drafted by Major League Soccer franchise Toronto FC. However, he joined the Ontario club when they were the gold standard of MLS and failed to break into the first team.

He was told to be a leader for the academy kids playing for TFC's reserves in the second-tier USL, but didn't feel comfortable in this role. After another unsuccessful stint in the league, this time with Bethlehem Steel, the Philadelphia Union's reserves, he hung up his boots.

Aubrey was ready to give up on professional sports, but when his wife joked "you could do that" after watching an NFL kicker miss a field goal, it lit a fire inside him.

Aubrey: I wanted to be like Henry

After years of training and playing in the USFL, he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. Thanks to his soccer background, he has become one of the best kickers the NFL has seen.

Lengthy negotiations recently culminated with him signing a bumper contract extension that made him the best-paid kicker in NFL history. He will earn $28m on a deal through 2030. Despite his career change, Aubrey has never lost his love for soccer.

Speaking to The Athletic, he has now revealed that he is an Arsenal fan and grew up idolising Thierry Henry. However, he also had a soft spot for USMNT icon Clint Dempsey, who played for Fulham and the Gunners' North London rivals Tottenham

"I wanted to be just like Henry," Aubrey, who was a goal-scoring defender in college, said. "It felt like he could make a play out of thin air. Anytime he touched the ball, it was electric."

On Dempsey, he added: “Clint was skilful, powerful, not nearly as fast, but had grit anytime he was on the field. It felt like he would find a way to win a game no matter what it took and no one was ever gonna push him around. I wanted that mentality."

When quizzed about Arsenal's Premier League title and the Gunners' perceived over-reliance on set-pieces, Aubrey offered a unique perspective.

"I took set pieces incredibly seriously," he explained. "I enjoyed a coach that would take them seriously and really rehearse them.

"I enjoy watching it. I know a lot do not view it as soccer in its purest form, but when you’re competing, these are ways to gain marginal benefits. If you become dangerous on set pieces, that incentivizes the opponent to not give you those set pieces.

"Then they play more of the game instead of fouling any time they are in danger of conceding a chance. I appreciate it."

During his time at Bethlehem, Aubrey played alongside USMNT attacker Brenden Aaronson, who came through the Union academy before moving to Austrian side Salzburg.

The teenage prospect was a cut above the rest at the time. Aubrey recalls: "The ball just stuck to his foot. He made all of the guys on that USL side look inadequate."

Aaronson may no longer be that talented wonderkid, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino admitting that he doesn't know the Leeds star's best position, but he will be a weapon for the US at the World Cup.

Indeed, Aubrey believes that the USMNT has the raw talent to go deep in this summer's tournament. "If we get out of the group stage, anything can happen," he insists. "

It’s a tournament. The best team doesn’t always win. We have such a talented batch of players, so they can just put it together on the field. There’s no reason they can’t make the quarterfinals. From there, anything’s possible."