Thierry Henry reveals 'brutal' truth he gave Bukayo Saka to transform Arsenal career

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Thierry Henry has revealed he delivered some harsh truths to Bukayo Saka during a phone conversation before the winger's remarkable Arsenal transformation. The Gunners academy product has been a regular fixture in Mikel Arteta's squad since making his breakthrough in 2018.

Saka is approaching 300 appearances for Arsenal, despite his young age, and has netted 78 goals across all competitions. He's also earned 48 caps for England, adding a further 14 goals for his country.

The Arsenal icon has shed light on a discussion he had with Saka earlier in his career and believes the winger contributes so much to his managers on the pitch that the numbers don't always tell the full story.

Henry told Betway : "I don't want to say too much, but some of the guys have my number and whenever they want to call me, they know they can. What we talk about is on them to say if they want to, but they know they can call me and talk about life, football or whatever.

"I can only say thank you for what Bukayo said. It's just calling a friend, I guess, because I consider Bukayo like a little brother in a certain way.

"Whenever I can speak to a player, I think that should be your duty. You don't owe anything to anyone, but you give. I will say that honesty is key, so whenever I speak to a player I am brutally honest."

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Henry was full of praise for Saka's displays and insists there's far more to the 24-year-old than mere numbers. The two-time Premier League winner said: "Consistency is key, and Bukayo has been consistent for the past two or three years with England and Arsenal. Sometimes, stats don't tell you how a player plays.

"If you take Andres Iniesta and you only look at his stats, you'll think he was an OK player. Now if you watch the game, it's a different ball game.

"Stats don't tell you that Bukayo Saka goes up and down, defends the other winger, helps his right back, goes on the counter and tries to deliver. The amount of time that people kick him, he gets back up and he goes again, and he wants the ball in every situation.

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"You have to watch the game to see that. Unfortunately, nowadays a lot of people only look at the stats.

"This is where Saka gives you a lot of options as a coach. We saw in the Euros when he started to play as a wing back – give me another winger right now of that magnitude who will accept to play as a wing back, or defend like he does. You have to watch the game to see what a player is doing, and what Bukayo brings to a team is second to none."

When asked what he reckoned was Saka's biggest transformation since breaking into the side, Henry said: "His eyes have changed.

"You know when someone has that look, it's over, and I think that changed a bit for Bukayo. Sometimes people said, 'Bukayo is a nice guy.' I don't like that, personally. On the field, you don't have to be nice. Winners are not nice. They want to win."

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