Manchester United icon George Best once admitted that just one Arsenal player was capable of exciting him in the Premier League era. The Irishman, one of the very best – pun intended – entertainers on a football pitch, created moments that very few of his generation were capable of. His maverick nature of taking on all comers and using a blend of pace, poise and skill is also slowly being wiped out of the game, with similar types of stars struggling in a system-based game.
Tactics had far fewer constraints even as of the time of Best's death in 2005. However, even back then, there were not many who could get the Ballon d'Or winner off his seat. But there was at least one legendary figure who was given their props for doing just that.
Best Names His Most Exciting Player
As per an article from Planet Football, Best once revealed that he didn't see many entertainers like himself after he called it quits, but one player he did mention as being exciting was Arsenal's Thierry Henry. At the time of the comments, the Frenchman was running roughshod around Highbury, building a legacy as one of, if not the greatest Premier League player in history.
This left Best to explain:
"I don’t recognise myself in the players I see today, there’s only one who excites me, and that is Thierry Henry. He’s not just a great footballer, he’s a showman, an entertainer."
Henry mastered the art of being able to beat opponents with ease, making himself among the most electric players the beautiful game has ever witnessed. But even he eventually fell foul of the limitations of footballing systems, something which no doubt would've upset Best had he witnessed it.
By Henry's own admission, he had to learn to play football again when working with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, who completely changed the role that he wanted the World Cup winner to excel in.
"I learned how to play football again at 30 years old,' the winger explained.
"After what I had achieved at club level, Arsenal, Monaco, Juve - even if it was only for a short period - but also at international level, I suddenly saw the game in a different way - understanding space, understanding staying in your position, understanding you have to give 100 per cent at everything.
"Even when we used to pause to drink in training, you had to run, drink, run back to the drill - his attention to detail is second to none.
"He's actually too clever sometimes, that's why he gets in trouble because he sees many things that he wants to rectify and change. He would change a tactic sometimes five times in one half."