Henry delights in Arsenal record

Striker Thierry Henry was delighted after breaking Ian Wright's scoring record with the 185th and 186th goals of his Arsenal FC career in the 2-0 UEFA Champions League victory against FC Sparta Praha on Tuesday evening.

Record-breaker
A sublime strike after 21 minutes and an elegant finish after 74 saw Henry make a massive impression in his first game for nearly six weeks following a groin injury, having come on as an early substitute for the injured José Antonio Reyes.

'Over the moon'
"I'm just over the moon about the record," Henry said. "Wrighty was a great player and will always be a legend at Arsenal. To beat his record is tremendous. I wanted to do it at Highbury but if I get the chance to score I'll take it."

'Exceptional player'
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger added: "Thierry is an exceptional player, who writes football history - and not only at Arsenal. I did not expect him to come on after only 15 minutes and I certainly did not expect him to beat Ian Wright's club scoring record tonight. However, he had a great will to play and his class allowed him to score a great first goal."

'Commitment'
Wenger's next task will be to get his record-breaking marksmen to agree a new contract before his current deal runs out at the end of next season, but on Tuesday Henry was thinking only of the present. "I will discuss it at the end of the season," he said. "I've seen a lot of speculation but whenever I step on to the pitch, I give it all my heart and play 100 per cent. You can never doubt my commitment on the pitch and hopefully people will respect that."

Wright passion
If style and skill on the ball were the only attributes that mattered, Henry would have no rival as Arsenal's greatest goalscorer. If, however, you like your strikers to be passionate leaders of the line who are as happy with a scrambled touch over the line as a screamer from 20 metres, then Wright was your man. It is hard to imagine two more different marksmen.

Converted winger
England's Wright scored 185 goals between September 1991 and July 1998. France's Henry, who joined the north London club in August 1999 from Juventus, has now hit 186. Statistics underline Henry's astonishing consistency. The top Premier League goalscorer for three of the past four seasons, he has reached the club landmark in 303 games. However, Henry was signed as a winger and converted reluctantly into a central striker by manager Wenger, unsuccessfully at the beginning of the process.

Eye for goal
After Wenger's arrival in 1996, Arsenal won three league titles and four FA Cups with a dazzling brand of fluent, attacking football which has had Henry at its head. Runner-up as World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2003, the Frenchman can rarely be contained. His pace, vision and ability to drag defenders out to the wings before accelerating into the penalty area are added to a deadly eye for goal.

Wright grafter
Henry's goals are often things of beauty, be it an outrageous backheel under pressure, as against Charlton Athletic FC last season, a deft chip or a thunderous free kick. Wright was much more of a grafter than an artisan. In 1997 Wright moved past Cliff Bastin's record of 178 goals (in 395 games) and was still scoring regularly aged 33 after Wenger arrived.