Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has admitted that he was a "little annoyed" over Thierry Henry's "brutal" assessment of him toward the end of last season.
The club's all-time leading goalscorer - now a Sky Sports pundit - made headlines in April by insisting that Giroud was not good enough to lead Arsenal to Premier League glory.
The 28-year-old subsequently failed to find the net again in league competition for the remainder of the season, and the France international admits that Henry's comments hit hard.
"It is part of the game. I will never win unanimous support," he told reporters at a press conference ahead of France's clash with Belgium on Sunday.
"Apparently Titi [Henry] corrected himself recently, he said that he was thinking about competition, that he wanted Arsenal to have many strikers who can score goals.
"He was a little brutal at the time, so it caused a fuss, but that is what he's asked to do as a pundit and I didn't lose any sleep over it. Of course, it hurts your pride, it brings into question the work you do every day. It irritates you, and I was a little annoyed, but I quickly put it behind me."
Giroud, who spent three months out injured with a broken foot, finished the 2014-15 campaign with 19 goals in all competitions.
Shane Callaghan
