The silver booted star of Welsh rugby justified the hype by kicking the penalty which secured a famous victory over England and set Wales on the road to the 2005 Grand Slam.
The son of former Maesteg prop Alan Henson, Gavin enjoyed a glittering junior career before making his senior debut for Swansea in 2000.
The following year he won his first cap on the tour of Japan and was named IRB and Wales Young Player of the Year.
The return of Iestyn Harris from rugby league blocked any further advancement, although Henson's own versatility may also have been a drawback.
But his performances for the Ospreys in their flying start to regional rugby brought him back into contention.
Making his international mark at inside centre, his impressive performances in the 2004 autumn internationals included a Welsh record of fourteen conversions in the test against Japan.
Since his exploits in the 2005 Six Nations turned him into a star, Henson hasn't found it easy in the limelight.
After the frustration and disappointment of the Lions tour of New Zealand, Henson found it hard to win his way back into the national squad following injury and loss of form, amid concerns that his celebrity lifestyle with girlfriend Charlotte Church overshadowed his sporting exploits.
Nevertheless, Henson won his place back to be a key player in Wales's 2008 Grand Slam campaign, helped by a shifting of the spotlight to the try-scoring exploits of his Ospreys teammate Shane Williams.
Spiky haired, silver booted rugby hero
