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Arsenal: Thierry Henry admits he 'would be lying' if he said he did not want to manage former club

Henry will now cease working for the Arsenal Under-18s side and will continue his studies towards a Uefa A licence qualification elsewhere

Samuel Stevens
Monday 18 July 2016 10:54 BST
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Thierry Henry has moved to play down reports of an argument with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger but refused to deny he one days hopes to manage his former club.

The Gunners legend, who scored 175 goals across two spells in north London, was forced to cancel his coaching arrangement with Wenger when the Frenchman refused to allow him to work concurrently as a pundit for Sky Sports.

Henry will now cease working for the Arsenal Under-18s side and will continue his studies towards a Uefa A licence qualification elsewhere after refusing to cancel his TV commitments in order to do so at the Emirates Stadium.

Discussing the saga for the first time with The Sun, the 38-year-old said: “Nothing will change with my love for Arsenal. First and foremost, I wasn't an employee. I was allowed to go and pass my badges there.

“This decision was taken months ago, but I guess it came out now because the new season started and I wasn't there. I have a current job. In my spare time, for free, I wanted to impart my knowledge and experiences in the game to the youngsters, while completing my coaching hours and also gaining knowledge to pass my pro licence.”

“That is how it is, it was a dilemma that wasn't really a dilemma. I have to work. I respect the decision and if I can't complete my hours there, then I will do it somewhere else. It isn't an issue.”

On potentially managing returning to the club as a manager, he added: “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a wish that I have because I love Arsenal.”

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