Why Thierry Henry was Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer’s dream strike partner

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In a 2019 interview, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer named Thierry Henry as his dream strike partner.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer is widely regarded as the best striker in Premier League history, with his 260 goals still the record almost 20 years following his retirement.

Shearer could have set records at Manchester United, but ultimately chose to return home and play with Kevin Keegan. While he failed to win trophies on Tyneside, he won the respect of Newcastle fans for having a storied career which ended at his boyhood club.

The Magpies have been fortunate to have had some of the best strikers in the Premier League play in the famous black and white stripes, with the likes of Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, and, of course, Shearer.

However, Newcastle fans have been left feeling jealous of some of the great strikers other teams in the Premier League have had over the years.

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Whether it was Tottenham Hotspur with Harry Kane, or Manchester City with Sergio Aguero, many will always be left wondering ‘what if?’. The same can be said about Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who is also regarded as one of the best forwards the league has ever seen.

They played in the same era, but never together. In a 2019 Premier League interview, Shearer explained exactly why Henry would have been his ideal strike partner.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer’s high praise for Thierry Henry in 2019

Shearer idolised Keegan as a youngster, so getting the chance to play for him at Newcastle was a dream come true for the club legend.

Throughout his 10 years at the club, Shearer had great strike partners like Ferdinand and Craig Bellamy, who did a lot of the running for Shearer in the latter stages of his career.

However, Shearer admitted he would have loved to play alongside Henry during his playing days, rather than against him. The Frenchman picked up four Premier League Golden Boots, and lifted the league title on two occasions while managed by Arsene Wenger.

“Skill, grace, goals, touch, technique, pace, strength; Thierry had all of that,” Shearer said to premierleague.com in 2019.

“Thierry could cut in off the left or in off the right, or if you wanted him to play centre-forward he could do that.

“He had 74 assists as well, so as well as banging goals in he could create them too. He was absolutely outstanding.

“If I could have played alongside anyone it would be him, because he was also an assist machine.

“He was superb at gliding past people, and from a purely selfish point of view he would have set me up for a lot of goals.”

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Alan Shearer recalls Thierry Henry’s best Premier League goal

While the relationship between the player and the club has soured, Alexander Isak has been likened to Thierry Henry for his agility and raw talent.

Shearer has suggested that Newcastle should sell Isak, but he will know that there are glimpses of Henry in him.

While Newcastle look for their Isak replacement, Shearer will surely be hoping it is someone like Henry, who caused so many Premier League clubs problems during his career.

“You knew that if you were going to be successful against that Arsenal team, you had to stop Thierry Henry,” Shearer added. “He was their guy.”

“The one (goal) where he flicked it up on the edge of the box against Man Utd and volleyed it into the top corner,” Shearer says. “An incredible goal.

“That encapsulated him in one hit: the touch, the technique to get over it, to hit the target and score the goal. That summed him up.”