Thierry Henry has hailed Alan Shearer as the 'most lethal' striker he has ever seen inside the box and the Frenchman admires the Newcastle United legend for going home rather than signing for Manchester United.
Shearer famously turned down a move to Old Trafford nearly a quarter of a century ago and instead completed a world-record £15m transfer to his boyhood club.
Although Shearer was unable to add to the Premier League title he previously won at Blackburn, in 1995, the England great went on to become Newcastle's record goalscorer.
Shearer knows he would have won a plethora of trophies at Manchester United but, to this day, the 50-year-old maintains that joining the Magpies was the best decision he ever made.
No one has scored more Premier League goals than Shearer so, unsurprisingly, the Gosforth native and Henry were the first players inducted into the top-flight's hall of fame this week.
Although Rio Ferdinand did not include the 'great' Shearer in his top 10 picks, because the No 9 'didn't win enough', Henry saw things rather differently.
"What do you want me to say about the big man?" the Arsenal legend told Sky Sports.
"For me, always, when I was looking at the Premier League when I was young, it was the celebration of Alan Shearer.
"That admiration I have for him to go back to where he belongs is second to none because he could have chosen titles but he went with family first so that, for me, is something that speaks volumes about the man.
"We can talk about his goals - holding off Marcel Desailly like there was nothing there - but how strong was he? People don't realise how strong that man in front of me was.
"When he used to put his feet on the ground and his arms like he used to do, you're not getting that ball. You're not getting that ball and his desire to score goals was second to none.
"I mean he was the most lethal striker I've seen in the box. Hands down."
