Hot-shot Henry has sights set on Champions League

THIERRY HENRY celebrated Sunday’s “win double” by setting his sights on winning next season’s Champions League — but insisted the odds were stacked against any English club hoping to lift Europe’s prestigious trophy.

Henry was on a high after Arsenal won the Premier League title with the 2-2 draw at rivals Tottenham, then on a personal note when he became the first man to win successive PFA Player of the Year awards.

Having shown they are the best team in England, Henry wants Arsenal to go on and prove they are also the tops in Europe by winning the Champions League, but he does not believe the domestic programme does English clubs any favours.

"We are not at the level yet of Real Madrid or Milan, or teams like that," said Henry. "It's a fact they can win the Champions League every year, it's there.

"It's the biggest competition in Europe and it will be a big challenge next year. Full credit to Chelsea by beating us on aggregate this season but we lost one game over 17 and it was in the quarter-final of the Champions League.

"In the cup things can happen. You can turn up on a bad day and you can go out. Deportivo La Coruna lost 8-3 at Monaco and they are still in it it could have been the day it was the knockout stage and they would have been out.

"To be fair to Chelsea before they went to Monaco, Monaco had 10 days off while they played three games in ten days. I felt for them because a lot of people gave them stick but we went through that stage. The older players say they used to play four games in eight days and had to get on with it. That's okay if all the teams are playing four games in eight days but not when it's only one team."

Henry may be forgiven for easing up now that Arsenal have secured the title, especially as he will be representing France in this summer's European Championship in Portugal.

"The most important thing was to win the league, now it's a matter of how far we can go with that record," said Henry. "We've already beaten one record by remaining unbeaten but to go through the season would be something in history."

Henry has again scored goals for fun this season, but he picked a recent one as his favourite. "My best goal of the season is the Liverpool one," said Henry. "It is not so much about the way I scored it but it was about the relief in the stadium we had come back from 2-1 down to 2-2 and that one made it 3-2. It was an important goal."

Henry insisted that Arsenal's title success was not just down to their "fancy football" or even his own bountiful goal supply, but to teamwork, hard graft and mental resolve.

"Last season, when I went to the players' player of the year awards, I said it was a great joy for me but I'd rather have won the title. Now I've gone there with the title, so it's the cherry on the cake," he observed.

"I'm part of the team so obviously I'm helping when I'm on the pitch, like Patrick Vieira and everyone else. As a striker, you grab the headlines, but this team is something else. We have done something special this season. It's a kind of a family here and you win titles because you play as a team.

"So many people have talked about how we play, but they forget about the way we fight for each other. You can't just win titles with fancy football."

Defender Sol Campbell revealed yesterday how close he came to putting his career on hold earlier this season as he struggled to cope with the death of his father.

"For me, the beginning of the season wasn't fantastic," admitted Campbell. "I'd had the end of the previous season, where I couldn't play in the last few games, and then my father passed away.

"It was very emotional for me. I had to dig in. There was a time after my father passed away when I was thinking 'should I go back to football'? Those things go through your mind so now it's really sweet.

"I had to talk it over with my family. I spent time with them over the two weeks. It was about being there with them and forgetting about football."

Campbell's second title success with Arsenal in three seasons underscores his decision to move from Tottenham for the sake of his career.

"People have got to realise why I made my decision. It's old news now, it's played out. I've moved on in my life and I feel better for it," he added.

"Things happen for a reason. Winning at Manchester United was good for the fans but I think winning it at White Hart Lane will mean even more to them."