Dortmund's Sancho replacement reveals what Henry taught him at Arsenal

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 14 Dec 2021 16:39 CST
• 5 min read

Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen has revealed that former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry played a vital role in his development as a young player.

Malen made the move to Germany in the summer transfer window, when he moved from PSV for €30 million.

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The Dutch forward was signed as a ready-made replacement for Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho, but has so far struggled to live up to expectation with just five goals and two assists for Dortmund this season.

Before Malen made his name at PSV he actually spent part of his youth development at Arsenal and that’s where he was coached by Henry, which the young forward still remembers fondly.

Henry was a great player, you could tell in every training session'

“Above all, a lot of small details. He showed me what to look out for as a striker when I go one-on-one,” said the Dortmund forward in an interview with Sport-Bild.

“How the opponent behaves, what I have to do. Henry was a great player, you could tell in every training session.

“His demeanor, his movements, his mentality - you absorb that and try to internalize it. Sometimes in training it was enough to observe him in order to learn from him.”

Although Malen’s time at the London club only lasted a few years, he puts his meeting with Henry down as a moment in which he met one of his heroes as a young player.

As well as that, the Dortmund forward also remembers speaking to Arsene Wenger and the former Arsenal manager’s efforts to convince him to make the move to the Premier League side.

“Yes, there was a meeting with him before I moved,” said Malen. “He made me feel good and explained how he wants to help me become a better player and why Arsenal was the place for me.

“I was very young then. Suddenly meeting Arsene Wenger was very special.”