Thierry Henry sends Bukayo Saka instruction in touching Arsenal message

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has expressed how proud he is of Gunners star Bukayo Saka. The England ace scored from the penalty spot against West Ham to notch his 100th goal contribution in his 200th Premier League appearance for the club.

Saka's strike from 12 yards helped Arsenal go top of the league as he and Declan Rice secured three points against the Irons. And Henry has made no secret of his adoration of north London's star player.

The Arsenal legends seem to have a close bond, and Henry, who scored 228 goals for the Gunners, even shares text messages with Saka. The 24-year-old followed in his mentor's footsteps to become the second Arsenal player to net when recording their 200th outing.

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"From the ACADEMY to the EMIRATES," Henry posted on Instagram "From your DEBUT to 200 PL GAMES, with 55 GOALS and 45 ASSISTS!!!

"KEEP on MOVING BUKAYO!!!!!! So PROUD of YOU."

"Grateful," said Saka in the comments. The young star accompanied his message with a praying hands emoji and a red heart emoji.

Following Arsenal's win over the Irons, Saka also revealed that Henry had served some important inspiration. The ex-Monaco boss texted him an important reminder.

Henry took time to reinforce the importance of the clash against West Ham. Arsenal had lost in successive meetings against the Hammers at the Emirates before Saturday's win.

When asked about matching his hero's milestone, Saka commented on Henry's continued influence. "Thierry messaged me this morning to remind we lost the last two games to West Ham at home," Saka said.

"He is always pushing me. I am really happy to have my name with his records."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Saka's journey too. The Spaniard was delighted for his side's main man after topping the Premier League.

"It has been an incredible journey together," Arteta said. "The way he has done it is special.

"He is loved by everybody and the numbers he is creating are incredible at his age - so much more to come from him."

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