Arsenal Love for Thierry Henry Knows No Bounds

The love affair between Thierry Henry and Arsenal runs deep. So deep that Henry was brought to tears by the unveiling of his bronze statue outside The Emirates recently. And so deep that he remains the most romanticized Arsenal player in the modern era.

Just imagine the outpouring of hysterical excitement if he does indeed rejoin the club on loan in January, as expected. Make no mistake—to Arsenal fans, this is a potential Michael Jordan moment in their history. A comeback that would have Gunners from London to Laos in a state of uncontrollable euphoria.

Ask an Arsenal fan who they'd most like to see back in the shirt, and it's Henry every time. It was he who applied the most inspired brush strokes at the dawn of the Arsene Wenger renaissance, and he who perfectly embodied the intelligence and bold ambition of his visionary manager on the pitch.

In many ways, he did for Arsenal what Eric Cantona had done for Manchester United. Henry, like Cantona, played without fear. He expressed himself in the only way he knew how, and he provided the strongest of motivations for his teammates to come along for the ride. You can shout all you like, but football's best leaders always lead by example.

Henry's goals were the driving force as Arsenal won a Double in 2002, and he fired them to another title in 2004. There were also three FA Cup wins to celebrate during his time with the Gunners—the last of which came in 2005 and is gaining in notoriety by the season. In case you need reminding, Arsenal haven't won a major trophy since.

After eight years and 226 goals, Henry left for Barcelona in 2007. From there it was the MLS, and with that move his career at the very highest level looked over. In 2010, he retired from international duty, and seemingly waved the game's biggest stages goodbye.

Never again would a truly grand occasion be graced by the sight of Henry in full flight—cutting in from the left, or curling one of those trademark right-footed finishes into the far corner. Or so we thought.

That was until the 34-year-old Henry returned to train with Arsenal this winter. As Wenger's squad creaked with injuries, and with Robin van Persie seemingly tasked with presenting their attacking threat on his own, Henry set about zipping around their London Colney base like a 19-year-old with a point to prove.

"In training, he shows his class and to have him with us is great because he shows his attitude, his experience," said Per Mertesacker. "He still has the same attitude he showed in a lot of games at Arsenal."

And with that quote rose the hopes of expectations of tens of millions of Arsenal fans. That, and the very real possibility that the man himself is as keen as they are on his return in red and white. As Blur once sang, "It really, really could happen."

A two-month loan deal would take in Arsenal's Champions League last 16 clash with AC Milan, along with Premier League games against Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool. If that's where it ends, so be it, but you can't help wonder what Henry might do if a second honeymoon in north London works out for both parties.

Jordan came back to the Chicago Bulls to win three NBA titles. Henry won't match that, and in truth, his comeback to Arsenal is closer to Jordan's third coming with the Washington Wizards. But that won't quell the hype, and it won't stop Arsenal fans believing something a little special is about to happen.

In their current state, Arsenal sympathizers would take a trophy of any kind this season. If their hero plays even the smallest role in making it happen, they'll be campaigning for his name to adorn the stadium.