Thierry Henry retires: Why Rocky and Rambo is to blame for the former Arsenal striker's retirement

Frenchman says he did not want to become Arsenal's Rocky by mounting another comeback

Rambo and Thierry Henry (Getty Images)

Thierry Henry has revealed what led him to decide the time was right to retire – the prospect of becoming Arsenal’s Rocky Balboa.

Having already made one return to the Gunners via a 2012 loan spell and also training with the club during the MLS off-season, Henry admitted that his heart still lies with the club he spent eight years with before leaving in 2007 for Barcelona.

The former striker had been linked with a return to Arsenal to add strength in depth for the rest of the season, but Henry has revealed that the though never really crossed his mind. Unusually, he used the famous Rocky series to explain why another comeback wouldn’t be a good idea.

“You kind of never leave Arsenal, of course everyone wants to know about the playing side,” said Henry.

Sylvestor Stallone at the premiere of Rocky Balboa in Tokyo (Getty Images)

“No, we didn’t talk too much about that. But like I said, how many comebacks do you make?

“It will turn out to be a bad movie at one point. We all love the first Rocky but I don’t know about the last one.”

Not finished with his strange blasting of Sylvester Stallone’s recent films, Henry added: “Or maybe I should’ve said Rambo.”

Sylverster Stallone in Rambo (Getty Images)

Who knows what Henry will think of Stallone’s five films set for release next year – which of course includes another instalment of the Rambo series plus The Expendables 4.