The 33-year-old is now into his eighth season in North London after arriving from Borussia Dortmund. However, he has spent large parts of his Arsenal career on the sidelines nursing a succession of injuries, missing the entire 2008/09 campaign due to a hamstring tendon problem.
Another injury setback, sustained during Euro 2012, limited the former Sparta Prague starlet to just 10 league outings last term, but he is now back firing on all cylinders as Arsene Wenger’s men continue to defy the detractors and top the Premier League table.
And Henry, who briefly played alongside Rosicky before departing for Barcelona, says his attitude and determination has endeared him to fans and players alike.
“Tomas Rosicky has the respect of the dressing room, and that’s all you want as a football player,” said Henry, speaking in Barcelona at the launch of PUMA's new evoPOWER football boots. “He never put his head down, he carried on working and being at the service of Arsenal Football Club and he always gave his all.
“The fans at Arsenal love him and the players love him. They all know what Rosicky can bring. Unfortunately he had some trouble with injuries, but you can see what he can do when he’s not injured. Great attitude, great professional, he gives 100 per cent all the time. For me that’s the type of player you want to stay at Arsenal for a very long time. As an Arsenal man and as an Arsenal fan now, he is a star for me.”
Rosicky is fast approaching 150 league appearances for the Gunners despite his injury problems. Henry believes that what he brings to the team defensively, as well as in attack, has been key to Wenger keeping faith with the Czech midfielder.
“Arsene likes this type of player,” he said. “You can see when he loses the ball he chases the ball down, he works hard for his team. When he has it he’s also clever with it. He always goes forward, passes the ball through the lines. He always likes to feed his strikers and that’s what you want from a midfielder. Rosicky gives you that and I hope he can stay at Arsenal as long as possible.”
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