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Henry gets it Wright

Studying former Arsenal scoring machine Ian Wright has helped Thierry Henry mature to become France's danger man in attack.

The quicksilver forward, who has scored three goals in the tournament and will be one to watch in tomorrow's Euro 2000 final against Italy, draws inspiration from the man he replaced as the London club's number one marksman.

One day at Arsenal, England defender Martin Keown told him to watch carefully how the prolific Wright hunted goals.

''Martin told me that he was not any taller nor faster than I was but still scored more goals,'' Henry recalled. ''The next game I scored twice and since then I watch the video with his 184 goals any time I can.''

Despite his 26 goals for Gunners this season, the gifted 22-year-old was not at all certain to make it into France's squad a few months ago.

After missing all his side's qualifying matches but two, he was left out for a friendly against Poland last January.

''That's when I really started to doubt,'' he said. ''The coach must have had a good reason not to pick me. I believe you always get what you deserve so I just kept working hard and eventually, it paid off.''

After a frustrating season with Juventus, Henry moved to Arsenal last year, joining French coach Arsene Wenger, who was his mentor during his four-year spell at Monaco from 1994 to 1998.

''It was difficult at first,'' Henry said. ''(Davor) Suker and (Nwanko) Kanu were starting most matches and I was playing only a few games in the Champions League. I wasn't too worried. I knew my time would come.''

Everybody in the French camp is now full of praise for henry's amazing speed and scoring instinct but it was not always that way.

Aime Jacquet, then the head coach, kept his faith in Stephane Guivarc'h at the 1998 World Cup and Henry was only a substitute. He still scored three goals, ending the tournament as France's top scorer.

Henry was only 17 when he made his professional debut for Monaco. He was then a winger but reached a new dimension only after Wenger convinced him he should play centre forward.

Wenger protected his raw diamond, using him as a substitute at first and persuading him not to leave for a leading European club too soon.

''Arsene Wenger has helped me a lot and has always had a very positive influence on my career,'' Henry said.

Henry's father is from La Desirade, a small island of the Guadeloupe archipelago, in the French West Indies. After the World Cup triumph, he went there, receiving a hero's welcome.

''I cried for one of the only times in my life,'' Henry said.

Just three days before France's opening Euro 2000 match, his grandfather died.

It was for him that he played against Denmark, helping his side to a 3-0 win with a superb goal after a 60-metre solo run.

Together with Nicolas Anelka, Patrick Vieira and Sylvain Wiltord, Henry, who burst into the limelight by winning the 1996 under-18 European title, belongs to a hugely talented new breed of French players.

All close friends, they grew up on the outskirts of Paris and share the same love for rap music.

''I am aware that I belong to an exceptional generation,'' said Henry.

A quiet young man off the pitch, he becomes a fighter on it, just like the comic-book super-heroes he is so fond of.

''When you put on the shirt of France or Arsenal, you change,'' he said. ''It's like a new skin. You become superman.''