The Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie broke Thierry Henry’s record for goals scored in a calendar year yesterday, and he believes that his role as captain at the club this season has galvanised the team to fight their way back into the top four in the Premier League.

But he thinks it is great that he is being compared to some brilliant Arsenal captains from the past, and there was no better than the great Tony Adams.

van Persie said: “It is a massive honour that there are people in England who think I am doing a good job as captain and, for that reason, have made some comparisons with Tony.

“I consider Tony Adams as the best captain Arsenal have ever had. He played for Arsenal his entire career and is an absolute legend here.

“I have met him a number of times, but most of what I know about him is through the real Arsenal people, such as our kit men Paul and Vic Akers and our physio Colin Lewin.

“They have told me so many stories about his leadership – and they know. They were there in the dressing room at the time.

“Tony also had this amazing quality to win matches by his strong mentality.

“He would carry the team and be an inspiration to every player.

“I try to do it my way. I do it differently, but every day I try to make sure, as a captain, that we are a really united bunch of players. If Tony Adams could ever return here at Arsenal in some capacity, I would be the first person to support him. I think it’s crucial to have somebody like him, with all his experience, on our staff.

“I am a big fan of his and I know that the boys would also appreciate his presence. The first thing players do is look at somebody’s track record.

“Also, with Tony as a player you can talk about football, about life and private things, as he has overcome some hurdles in that way. To me, he is the prime example of a born winner.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed club legend Thierry Henry to have a positive influence on the team.

Henry is close to signing a two-month loan deal with his former club - a move that will help keep the New York Red Bulls forward in shape during the MLS off-season while allowing Arsenal to make up for their striker shortfall when Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh leave for African Cup of Nations duty.

While opinion is split about the actual impact the 34-year-old Henry could have on the pitch, Wenger himself is confident that the Frenchman still has the magic in him.

In comments quoted on Arsenal's website, Wenger said: "He is experienced, he is quality, he knows the Club, he can help the players on and off the pitch. He has vast experience.

"No one can measure that but I know it can only be positive. He has exceptional talent; he is a very intelligent man and has a desire to help the Club, so it can only be positive. But it is difficult to measure how positive an influence he is.

"He has something. He knows where to be. He knows how to give a problem to the opponent. You never lose that. We will see. I don't want to put too much pressure on him. He wants to be as discreet as possible and help the team out when it is needed.

"We are on a good run. If he can add something in games, that is what you want. Before he had pace and intelligence. Now he has to use his brain more. He always had both."

The Arsenal manager thinks Henry will be able to play anywhere in the front three.

"Thierry came into the side on the left and when he moved to Barcelona he played on the left because they had [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic in the middle," Wenger said.

"He played on the left, he showed he can still do it and can play in any of the three positions up front in the system we play. He can also play behind the striker as well."

The move to bring back Arsenal's record goal-scorer came as a shock to many, but Wenger revealed he was the one behind the move.

"It was my idea because I decide and he was happy with it," said the manager. "It was his idea as well to come here, but I had to make the decision to do it.

"He is certainly very happy and modest about it as well. He just wants to help us get through a period where we lose two strikers.

"First of all we do it because Gervinho and Chamakh go to the African Nations Cup and to cover for two months is ideal," said Wenger.

Henry was at the Emirates as a spectator as Arsenal beat QPR 1-0 to enter the top-four of the Barclays Premier League. The Gunners play Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday before taking on Leeds in the FA Cup.

Arsenal star Robin van Persie said winning against QPR was more important to him than setting a new Premier League scoring record.

The Dutchman went into the game at the Emirates needing a hat-trick to beat Alan Shearer’s record, set in 1995, of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year.

However, Van Persie could only score once to take his total to 35 – one short of Shearer – and secure the survival of the former Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton striker’s record for another 12 months at least.

The finish from the 28-year-old does mean that he climbs above Thierry Henry as Arsenal’s top Premier League scorer for a calendar year, the Frenchman having once netted 34.

Van Persie was pleased to have the club record and said he was not too disappointed at not beating Shearer because the three points were more important.

He told the BBC: “I was one short of Alan Shearer’s record but I have the Arsenal record in my hands.”

“For me, the main thing today was the win. Man United lost, Chelsea lost and Spurs dropped two points, so it is a big day for us.”

“As a sportsman you want to achieve the highest possible and on a personal note the highest was to score three today and get the record.”

“But after the Wolves draw, there was only one thing on my mind – to win today.”

Interestingly, Van Persie does have a much better goals-per-game ratio than Shearer, with the Arsenal striker’s 35 goals coming in 36 appearances, whereas it took Shearer 42 matches to net his 36.

Henry, who is on his way back to The Emirates for a short-term loan move from January, managed his 34 goals in 39 games for the Gunners in 2004.

The centre-half is expected to be ruled out for up to three weeks with a calf strain sustained in Saturday's 1-0 win over QPR.

The Belgian was already playing out of position at left-back to cover for the absence of Kieron Gibbs and Andre Santos, while the Gunners are also missing right-backs Bacaray Sagna and Carl Jenkinson.

"We have lost Vermaelen for two or three weeks so I have to look if I can find somebody on loan," said Wenger.

"It would be stupid for us to drop points because we don't have a left-back.

"We now have three left-backs out. Francis Coquelin came on in this position and did quite well but he is a central midfielder."