Yannick Bolasie hopes that he can follow in the footsteps of Thierry Henry after requesting the Arsenal legend’s shirt number at new club Everton.
The former Crystal Palace winger signed for Everton in a deal worth at least £25million last week, a remarkable fee for a player who provided just nine goals in 89 Premier League appearances at Selhurst Park.
Bolasie made an exciting impression on his Everton debut in Saturday’s 2-1 win over West Brom, showing plenty of the trickery and invention that made him such a fan favourite in south London during a half-hour cameo from the bench.
With such a sizeable price tag to his name there will be plenty of pressure for Bolasie to produce greater returns on the scoresheet at Everton. But the Congolese international has picked the right player to inspire him.
Thierry Henry at Arsenal
“[As a kid] I’d watch Thierry Henry taking on defenders for Arsenal and that’s what I wanted to do,” he told Everton’s club magazine.
“Taking on defenders is what gives me a buzz. I’ve played as a winger all of my professional life and I’m looking forward to doing that now in front of the Everton fans.”
The admiration may be mutual. In 2015 Henry offered a glowing assessment of Bolasie’s ability, naming him and fellow Palace winger Wilfried Zaha in a selection of the six most exciting players in the Premier League.
