Red Bulls boss Mike Petke had plenty of kind things to say about Thierry Henry during the New York manager’s weekly conference call.
And if you believe him, those emotions will play their way through the club for a long time after Henry leaves town.
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Whether that is in a year or in two weeks -- Henry has been tipped to leave New York, retire or sign an extension -- remains to be seen. But for now, with Henry set to take the pitch a few more times, Petke is reveling in the present.
From HereIsTheCity:“He’s one of the greatest soccer minds….to have a conversation with Thierry about soccer is like talking to Albert Einstein about physics,” he said during his weekly media conference call.
“It’s truly amazing, to be honest with you. I think for a long time after this, the effect of Thierry Henry is going to be felt. It’s not necessarily a great thing, because to replace someone like him if, if, this is his last year will be I don’t want to say impossible, but pretty damn near impossible.”
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“The prestige that he has brought over here, the recognition back in Europe, just from him being here and coming here in his prime, to be able to witness him on a daily basis over his entire stay in MLS is something I’ll never forget.”
Henry has had a dramatic effect on the Red Bulls, although there are a few feathers left to place in his cap. New York can finish as high as second in the Eastern Conference, and Henry goes into his final two regular season matches with 51 goals and 42 assists in 121 MLS games.