Henry, now 34, was asked by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to come back to the club at which he is already the all-time record goalscorer, in order to provide backup to Van Persie in the absence of Africa Cup of Nations-bound duo Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh.
And Van Persie believes the fact Henry opted to accept Wenger’s offer despite having nothing left to prove is a mark of the man and his love for the game.
"He got a statue here last month and he has proved everything to us,” the Dutchman told reporters. “For him to come back is so brave. I really like that.
"He wants to help us out. He wants to help the club he loves. Only positives.
"He has nothing to prove. He has a statue here - only a couple of players have that. He broke every single record at Arsenal - he won everything at Arsenal.
"Some people might question: 'why do you do it? You have proved everything already?'