Veteran striker Peter Crouch has revealed that he views former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry as the greatest foreign player to have ever graced the Premier League.
After Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero’s superb hat-trick last weekend against Huddersfield, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer Alan Shearer declared that the Argentine forward was the best import that has come into English Football in the last 26 years.
However, Crouch, who has scored over 100 EPL goals himself, reckons that Arsenal legend Henry was a class apart and should be considered the best non-English player to ever play in the Premier League.
”But the best foreign player we have seen in the Premier League? No. That’s a step too far. I saw Alan Shearer hand that description to Aguero this week but, as much as I respect Alan, I can’t agree. My choice would be Thierry Henry, ” Crouch wrote in the Daily Mail.
”The benchmark for these players, however, was set by Henry. He was incredible. The first time I came up against him was playing for Aston Villa in 2004 during Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season. Arsenal won 2-0 that night and he scored both.
”Henry had arrogance, flair, but the thing that sticks in my mind is his speed. He’s the only footballer I have seen who set off like an Olympic sprinter. His finishing and close control weren’t bad either!
”What an amazing player. We shouldn’t forget what he was doing 15 years ago and we shouldn’t forget what was happening 25 years ago, either. We only get to enjoy men such as Aguero and others now because of the brilliance of those who arrived at the inception of the Premier League.”
