Flamboyant Frenchman whose style enriched the English game

The bald statistics are impressive enough: In eight seasons at Arsenal Thierry Henry scored 226 goals in 369 matches. Not a bad return on Arsène Wenger's £10.5m gamble. Gamble? Back in 1999 Henry was an out-of-sorts winger who had managed three goals and 16 matches in eight months with Juventus.

But Henry's impact on Arsenal, on the Premiership, cannot be judged on figures alone. This is the man who put the va-va-voom into the English game. It was for his style, as much as his goals, the Football Writers' Association voted him Footballer of the Year an unprecedented three times.

Related articles

• Henry to leave Arsenal for Barcelona in £16m move
• Search the news archive for more stories

It is the élan of Henry's game which we will remember. His pace, his footwork, those goals he passed into the net. Remember the volley on the turn against Manchester United? Or the way he sent, in one scribe's phrase, Jamie Carragher "out for a pint of milk" one Highbury afternoon against Liverpool, the defender's defender spinning into a team-mate as Henry glided by. Everyone will have a favourite Henry goal, or three. Like the hat-tricks against Roma and Internazionale, both in Italy. Not bad for a man too often traduced as a 'flat-track bully' - he also has an impressive scoring record against Manchester United and averaged a goal every other game in Europe.

Why that criticism? Maybe the expectation at times outweighed the performance, especially recently. Inevitable, perhaps, for a man who sometimes seemed to carry the hopes of the team on his shoulders, and occasionally made sure everyone knew it.

At times he appeared to intimidate his own team-mates as much as his opponents. Which may be one reason why Wenger has decided to let him go. Henry cast a large shadow and Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie may flourish in his absence. Another reason may be that Wenger, as with Patrick Vieira, feels the annual "will-he, won't he" saga destabilises the club, and affects the player's mood. The latter, always somewhat capricious, has also been soured by David Dein's departure from the Arsenal board. Dein's son was best man at Henry's wedding.

The main reason, however, must be that Wenger feels Henry's powers are on the wane. Certainly Wenger would not wish to match the four-year deal Barcelona are offering. Henry is 30 in August. Wenger does not give long-term deals to players in their 30s. It is one reason Vieira left.

Is Wenger right? Henry did have a poor season last year, but that might be expected after his efforts the previous campaign. Henry, uniquely, played in the finals of both the 2006 World Cup and Champions League. He also lost both games. So he began the season tired and deflated, then suffered sciatica and other injures during the season. Nor did he appear to settle at the Emirates.

Next season, refreshed after a break, and revitalised by a change in club, he can be expected to prosper. But for how long? He has been playing professional top-flight football since he was 17, more than 600 matches at the sharp end of the trade. As time goes by the infamous pout may be seen increasingly frequently.

If Wenger's long-term thinking appears sound what of his team's immediate future? Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Robert Pires, Ashley Cole, Vieira, now Henry. Arsenal's squad suddenly seems short of stellar names. A new team is being built at the Emirates and a lot will depend, in the short-term, on the leadership abilities of William Gallas and Gilberto Silva.

There may be a new forward recruit. It can be argued there needs to be for Henry's goals will be hard to replace. Last season, with Henry frequently absent, Arsenal scored 20 goals fewer than Manchester United and regularly failed to convert possession into points.

With the stadium built, and expected fees for Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes coming in, Wenger, for a change, does have some spending power. Though in the modern market even £20m does not go far, not when, as is his wont, the target is young as well as talented.

There is one other dimension to the transfer. Henry has the stature, and the personality, to make a stand against the racism endemic in the Spanish game. He will not need reminding that the national coach remains Luis Aragones, who described Henry as "a black shit" in 2004. In that respect he could prove a force for good in La Liga.

Back in England he will be missed, and not just by Gooners. One abiding memory is the sight and sound of a full Fratton Park, on its feet, chanting Henry's name after he had orchestrated the drubbing of the home side. It was a rare accolade, for a unique footballer.

King Henry of the Gunners

* August 1999: Signs for Arsenal for £10.5m.

* April 2003: PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year. Claims both again in 2004.

* February 2006: Reaches 200 goals for Arsenal after netting against Birmingham.

* December 2006: Foot and hamstring injuries and a sciatic nerve mar first half of season

* March 2007: Misses end of season after damaging groin against PSV

* May 2007: Arsene Wenger 'guarantees' Henry will not be sold.

* June 2007: Spanish media claim Henry has joined Barcelona