Jose Mourinho: "Henry was never on my radar as it was impossible to sign him"

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho spoke about Thierry Henry.

Speaking to TalkSport on Wednesday over the recent retirement of former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho made a big revelation while explaining how he and then-Barcelona manager Sir Bobby Robson were close to signing the French striker back in 1996.

Henry announced his retirement from professional football earlier this week, revealing that he will be returning to London as he prepares to take up his new role as a football pundit for Sky Sports.

Henry one of the greatest

When asked how highly he rated Henry as a striker and if he was one of the greatest players in the Premier League, Mourinho said, "He's the kind of player that you need forever, especially in the Premier League where he was more than any other place.”

"He was okay in Barcelona and the (France) national team, but the real Thierry Henry, the player that we are all going to miss forever, is the one that made unbelievable seasons and incredible history in the Premier League."

Missed him by an inch

Then, Mourinho went on to add how he missed signing the French striker by an inch. "When I was an assistant in Barcelona with Mr (Bobby) Robson in 1996 (we tried to sign him). He was in Monaco and he went to Juventus, we lost him by an inch," Mourinho said.

"After that he was not on my radar because it was never a possibility to come to my teams. Could you imagine in that moment leaving Arsenal to come to Chelsea? I wouldn't imagine that.”

The announcement of Henry’s retirement comes after he signed a new deal with Sky worth up to £25 million and will see him join former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville and ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher as a pundit and co-commentator.