Giroud ´hurt´ by Henry comments

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud says he was surprised and hurt by criticism from Thierry Henry, but maintains relations between the pair remain amicable.

Former Arsenal and France man Henry was critical of Giroud after April’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea – the Sky Sports pundit questioning whether the striker could lead the line for a side with Premier League title ambitions.

Henry recently defended his remarks by clarifying he felt his compatriot needed “help”, but the former Montpellier man says the comments affected him.

“Apparently, Titi [Henry] has backtracked on his remarks recently. He said that it was mainly a question of competition and that we required several attackers who can score goals,” Giroud said.

“He was a little harsh. Thierry’s comments helped stir up discussion, but that’s his job as a pundit. Afterwards, I didn’t think everyday about that, but my pride has been hurt because my work has been questioned.

“I was a bit annoyed., but I quickly forgot about that. I spoke with the coach and the most important thing is to have the support of the people close to me and who believe in me. So the staff and the players.

“The important thing is this, and then performance on the pitch. Winning the FA Cup was important.

“If I see him, we will laugh about it. It’s true that I had found it surprising from him but that’s football.”