Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe brings in Thierry Henry for pep talk ahead of Arsenal clash
Gunners legend recently visited the south coast club to give France’s Under-21 striker Lys Mousset a few goalscoring tips
THIERRY HENRY may have plotted the downfall of Arsene Wenger and his beloved Arsenal after giving Bournemouth a pep talk.
The Gunners legend recently visited the south coast club to give France’s Under-21 striker Lys Mousset a few goalscoring tips.
Henry was commissioned by the French Football Federation to speak to Mousset - but ended up being quizzed by the entire team.
And Henry’s words of wisdom paid off big time last weekend when the former Le Havre forward smashed home his first Cherries goal in the 2-2 FA Cup draw with Wigan.
Now Mousset, 21, and his team-mates are gunning for their first Premier League win over Wenger and his superstars.
Scotland midfielder star Ryan Fraser for one was gobsmacked to see the 1998 World Cup winner and double Premier League winner walk through the door.
Fraser said: “We were in a meeting and were told we had a special guest coming in and then Thierry Henry walked in and you were like, “What?! Is this real?”
“Thierry was saying he wanted to respect his team-mates by showing he was better than them – not to make them annoyed or to frustrate them.
“He felt he had to go out on the pitch and be better to show them why he was keeping them out of the team so I thought that was interesting as well because in football a lot of things go on behind the scenes and you don’t want people taking your spot.
“I didn’t know, when you’re that good a player, do you just go into training and say: ‘I’m already the best, I don’t need to show it today, I’ll do it in the game on the Saturday.'
“He said no, everyday in training he was there he wanted to be the best player – he wanted to show everyone that he was the best and I think that was good insight.”
Cherries chief Eddie Howe was slightly embarrassed that Henry’s visit was made public yesterday two days before Arsenal’s visit.
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But he admitted: “Thierry was excellent-he spoke to the players at length about his career and how he was successful so it was a really beneficial talk.
“It was very interesting to see the reaction of my players to what he said... and hopefully they will take something away from it which will affect them for the future.
Howe has told his young midfield star Lewis Cook, 20, to fight like Jack Wilshere to get into England’s World Cup team for Russia.
Cook, 20, emerged from Wilshere’s shadow last season when the superstar returned to Arsenal after his loan spell at Bournemouth was ended by a serious ankle injury.
Wilshere is struggling to start tomorrow’s clash but Cook, who captained England Under-20’s to World Cup glory in the summer, is now a Cherries regular.
Howe said: “I have a lot of time for Lewis and I think he’s going to be an outstanding player and if he can get close top Jack’s level in a few years time it will be great for him.
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“Absolutely I think Russia should be Lewis’s target-I really do. Why not?
“The way he is playing lately and the way he is improving every week I wouldn’t put it past him.”