Arsenal legend Thierry Henry relives his famous goal against Leeds at the Emirates in 2012… and reveals he stayed in the dressing room until 1am after scoring on his fairytale return

Thierry Henry has admitted staying in the dressing room until 1am after scoring against Leeds on his return to Arsenal in 2012.

Henry had secured his status as a Gunners legend when he made a dramatic return to the club during a short loan spell while playing for MLS side New York Red Bulls.

In true fairytale fashion, the Frenchman marked his second spell at The Emirates with a goal on his first appearance in an FA Cup tie against Leeds.

Henry came on as a substitute and scored the only goal of the match in a memorable moment that saw Arsenal progress to the next round.

Speaking before Tuesday’s Champions League match between his former club and Porto, Henry spoke of the emotion of that goal, before recreating the strike on the Emirates pitch as part of the pre-match coverage for CBS Sports.

The Frenchman attempted to recreate the goal while employed by CBS Sports

Henry hits the ball past fellow pundit Richards ahead of the Gunners Champions League match

‘The ball went in and we won 1-0. It was a very special moment.’ Henry told fellow experts Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.

‘I ran behind the corner flag and I have never done this before, but I ran into the arms of the boss. I don’t technically know where I was, I stayed in that locker room until 1 in the morning, believe or not. It was a bit strange.’

Before somewhat recreating the goal with the help of Carragher and Richards, Henry also talked about how difficult it was to leave the club he loved, but as a competitor he had to go elsewhere.

However, he admitted to always being a fan and stated; ‘If you love Arsenal, you will never leave Arsenal; it will always remain in your heart.’

Henry celebrates his goal against Leeds on his return to the club on a short loan spell in 2012

He also talked about how his return to the club also gave him a renewed bond with the club’s fans, but expressed his disappointment that he never really got to say goodbye as a player when the loan spell ended that summer.

There was even time to share memories of the goal and the Leeds moment with current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who was captaining the Gunners that day in January.

Arteta joked that he was already ready in the penalty area when Henry burst down the left flank, but he knew the French star would ‘never pass the ball’.

Henry made seven appearances during his final spell at the north London club, scoring his final goal in a 2-1 win over Sunderland in the Premier League.