Thierry Henry’s fascinating insight into playing alongside Lionel Messi | OneFootball

Thierry Henry has given his thoughts on his time playing in the same team as Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and his honesty may even surprise some people. The pair were part of the Spanish giants' front three alongside Samuel Eto'o from 2007 to 2010 and achieved both domestic and European success in that time.

Winning La Liga on two occasions in three years and beating Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final to lift the most prestigious European trophy, were the highlights of the time the duo spent together. Upon his arrival from Arsenal in 2007, many fans were left salivating at the thought of two of the best attackers in world football linking up in Spain.

Henry had been the main star of the Premier League for many years after scoring more than 200 goals for the Gunners, but he made the decision to seek a new challenge after the 2006/07 season came to a close and Barcelona were right at the front of the queue to secure his signature.

It can sometimes be a case of ego getting in the way when global superstars end up playing in the same team, but the Frenchman has been very honest about how things went down in Catalonia.

Henry reveals the impact Lionel Messi has on others

A video has emerged online of Henry speaking in glowing terms about his former teammate, and even went as far to say: "You have to be dumb, not to understand that you need to run for this guy, I don't care about ego." It really is a massive compliment for the Argentine forward when one of the best players in the world at the time was willing to sacrifice his own game in some ways to benefit him.

The former Arsenal forward went on to say: "If I look in the mirror one day and it's me, the main guy, then okay it's me, but it was Leo." Being gracious enough to admit that someone else was the main man in the team can't be easy for the World Cup 1998 winner, but Henry continued to do so by adding: "It was Messi's team."

Henry continued to hammer his point home by continuing: "You need to, at a particular moment, take your f'ing ego on the side. Whatever you did before or you didn't do, when you arrive at Barcelona, you didn't win anything."

Giving an idea of the mentality of those around the magnificent Argentine, Henry said: "We're gonna run for this guy and this guy - on the top of everything - scores four every game." The Frenchman signed off by adding: "What people do not understand sometimes in big teams; big players, big competitors, important players are willing to do whatever needs to be done to win."

Watch: Thierry Henry gives fascinating insight into his time with Messi at Barcelona

Thierry Henry's time at Barcelona

While playing for the Spanish side, Henry rarely ever featured in the centre-forward role that Premier League fans had come somewhat used to him playing, but instead saw himself deployed from the left-wing. With Messi operating on the opposite flank, it was a lethal front three with Eto'o as the spearhead.

Henry found the net 49 times for Barcelona while also registering 27 assists, which is not a bad record at all from 121 games, and to do so while sacrificing his own game to suit Messi, is remarkable. His time with the club came to an end in 2010 as he ventured to the MLS when he joined New York Red Bulls.