Cahill pays tribute to retiring Henry

Socceroo star Tim Cahill has paid tribute to “close friend” Thierry Henry, who announced his retirement from football this week.

Henry called time on an illustrious 20-year career that saw him win numerous individual goal-scoring honours as well as a World Cup with France, a Champions League title with Barcelona and two EPL championships with Arsenal.

But the latter part of the 37-year-old’s playing days was alongside Cahill at New York Red Bulls and Australia’s greatest-ever goal-scorer acknowledged Henry’s contribution to the game and his influence in getting him to the MLS.

‘‘He’s a great guy, a personal friend,’’ Cahill said of Henry.

‘‘He was one of the main reasons why I went to the New York Red Bulls.’’

Cahill is back in Sydney ahead of going into camp with the Socceroos at the end of the month to prepare for January’s Asian Cup.