Bukayo Saka Reveals Thierry Henry’s Personal Support as Arsenal Target Champions League Final Glory

Bukayo Saka has spoken candidly about the role Thierry Henry has played in supporting Arsenal’s squad during what could be one of the most significant weeks in the club’s recent history. With the Premier League title already secured, the 24-year-old winger and his teammates are now focused on delivering Champions League glory.

Saka, who joined Arsenal’s Hale End academy at the age of seven, reflected on how far he has come since his earliest days with the club. “We all know where my journey started,” he said. “Seven or eight-year-old at Hale End Road, this was a long, long way away — trying to win the Premier League, trying to win the Champions League with Arsenal.”

The England international added that the magnitude of the moment had only recently begun to feel tangible. “It feels like this last week it’s all become a reality, and tomorrow is another exciting opportunity to create more history and win another for the club that I love.”

Henry, widely regarded as one of Arsenal’s greatest-ever players and the club’s all-time leading scorer with 228 goals across two spells, was present at the Puskas Arena ahead of the Champions League final. His attendance was not merely symbolic — according to Saka, the Frenchman made a point of reaching out personally.

“[Henry] messaged me earlier,” Saka revealed. “He just said, ‘Afternoon, I’m here, I’ll see you outside after training. I’m going to be here.’ It’s been a consistent theme; he’s been there in the good and bad moments. I’ve got a lot of love for him, and I appreciate him a lot.”

Henry’s connection to Arsenal’s pursuit of European silverware carries particular weight. During his time at the club between 1999 and 2007, and briefly in 2012, he was part of the famed “Invincibles” side that went the entire 2003-04 Premier League season unbeaten — a feat Saka’s generation now has the opportunity to surpass by completing a domestic and European double that even that celebrated squad never managed.

Saka himself has been central to Arsenal’s rise under manager Mikel Arteta. The winger came through the Hale End academy system and has developed into one of the Premier League’s most consistent attacking players, making his journey a prominent symbol of the club’s long-term development philosophy.

With the league title secured and a Champions League final now the remaining prize, Arsenal stand on the verge of their first European Cup triumph since 2006, when they reached the final under Arsène Wenger before losing to Barcelona. The club has not won the competition outright since its inception as the European Cup in the 1990s rebranded era.