 One of the reasons cited for Henry 's impressive play up front is his ability to calmly score from one @-@ on @-@ ones . According to his father Antoine , Henry picked up his precision shooting from watching his idol Marco van Basten . He was also influenced by Romário , Ronaldo and African star George Weah , a new breed of strikers in the 1990s who would also operate outside the penalty area before running with the ball towards goal . At his physical peak from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s , Henry 's ability to dribble past opponents with exceptional pace , skill and composure , meant that he could get in behind defenders regularly enough to score . In 2004 , former Arsenal striker Alan Smith commented on Henry : " I have to say I haven 't seen a player like him . He 's an athlete with great technical ability and a tremendous desire to be the best . " 
