Thierry Henry has what it takes to be a Premier League manager, according to his former teammate Robert Pires.
The former Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls striker appears committed to becoming a top manager.
The 40 year old Thierry Henry has left his post as a Sky Sports Pundit to pursue managerial opportunities. He was assistant manager to Roberto Martinez in the Belgium set up, helping them to bronze at the World Cup. It was an experience that convinced him to take the next step.
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Thierry Henry took to Twitter on Monday to explain his decision to leave Sky. He said that his coaching experiences with Belgium made him “more determined”. He reiterated that his “long term ambition is to become a football manager.”
Pires, who played with Henry with Arsenal and France, said “Of course” Henry can be a manager.
“I hope and I wish for Thierry. I’m very happy he left Sky. I sent him a message yesterday saying, ‘Finally, you left’. Not because he’s not a good pundit but I know Thierry.”
When asked where he thought Henry should manage, Pires was emphatic in his answer.
“The UK. He loves the Premier League, for the spirit, the competition, the big, big clubs.
“Now he can focus on the new job, on being a manager. I hope he will find the right club. I don’t know if a chairman will give Thierry the opportunity but he will be a good manager.
“During the World Cup he was assistant to Roberto Martinez and did very well. If you ask all the Belgian players all of them, especially (Romelu) Lukaku, they say they learned from Thierry every day.
Henry joins Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as former players leaving punditry roles to pursue management. Gerrard will take over at Rangers this season, while Lampard will be in the Derby County dugout.
