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Thierry Henry has begun coaching at Arsenal with a view to earning his coaching badges, Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
The former striker has long been tipped as a future Arsenal manager and confirmation that he is coaching the club's youngsters will be viewed as his first steps to doing so.
Josh Benson, a player for the Gunners' Under-15s side, revealed on Twitter yesterday that he and his team-mates had been coached by the Frenchman who is also working as a pundit for Sky Sports since hanging up his boots at the end of the last MLS season.
"Thierry Henry is making his first steps as a coach," Wenger told reporters today.
"It's good for our youngsters to be coached by him. He's been here once or twice. All our former players are welcome to come back here and get their coaching badges. We're happy to have him."
The news will come as little surprise after Wenger said late last year that it was "not impossible" that Henry could take up backroom role at the Emirates.
Show all 15 1 /15The strangest press conferences in sport The strangest press conferences in sport Nigel Pearson 'ostrich' Having seen his Leicester side lose 3-1 to Chelsea, Pearson was in a prickly mood. So when a journalist pushed him on the subject of his players being criticised, he snapped. 'If you don’t know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich,' he said.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Louis van Gaal 'dossier' Louis van Gaal's Manchester United were accused of becoming a long ball team in the aftermath of a draw with West Ham. It clearly riled the former Netherlands manager as at the very next opportunity he produced four sheets of paper that he felt proved the claim was wrong. Rather than proving his point, it served better at making the Dutchman look a bit odd.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Rafael Nadal collapses The former World No 1 conducted a bizarre press conference at Flushing Meadows during which he appeared to collapse. Following his third-round victory over David Nalbandian in the US Open, the Spaniard stopped answering questions because of severe cramp in his right leg. Lying back in his chair and grimacing with the pain some two hours after the end of his match, the Spaniard then slid to the floor before asking for help. The room was cleared before a trainer arrived to treat Nadal with ice and fluids. Nadal was back on his feet ten minutes after his collapse, and re-assembled the media so that his post-match press conference could be completed. 'It was just a normal cramp that could have happened anywhere, but it happened in the press room. Anywhere else, nobody would have noticed,' he explained.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Tiger Woods says sorry Perhaps the most famous press conference of them all was Tiger Woods' public apology following allegations about his private life. Woods had been in hiding for two months following a car crash that set off a string of lurid allegations. His 14-minute, carefully scripted speech was attended by a select group of friends and hand-picked media and filmed by a single camera. During the humble address, Woods managed to apologise to his fans, fellow golfers, wife Elin, his children, family, sponsors and parents. 'For all that I have done, I am so sorry,' said the world's most famous golfer.
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The strangest press conferences in sport David Beckham retires Following the 2006 World Cup - and yet another missed opportunity by England to lift the greatest trophy of them all - David Beckham announced he would be stepping down as captain. Unfurling a piece of paper to make his statement, Beckham struggled to get his words out as he described the hurt the players were feeling at being knocked out of the tournament. 'I have lived the dream, I'm extremely proud to have worn the armband,' he said. Then, as Beckham walked away, the normally baying press broke out in an impromptu round of applause.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis Mike Tyson has been in numerous highly charged press conferences, with one interview in which he said he would 'eat' Lennox Lewis' children particularly note worthy. But it was the time he came face to face with Lewis to promote their fight that makes it into this countdown. With the two fighters standing opposite one another on stage, Tyson began to walk towards his opponent, apparently looking to engage with the British boxer. A melee ensued and bodyguards dived in. The two boxers rolled away behind a curtain, but not before Tyson bit Lewis on the leg.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Rafa Benitez 'facts' Whether Benitez was trying to be humorous or clever is still unclear to this day, but the reaction to his 'facts' press conference was one of general perplexity. During a routine pre-match chat with the media, Benitez entered the room and proceeded to unfurl a piece of paper. On that paper were a few 'facts' that he had prepared - generally on the subject of Sir Alex Ferguson. Many of these facts were later shown to be less certain than the Liverpool manager believed - and the overriding result of the conference was to make the then Liverpool manager look a little foolish.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Michael Vaughan retires When one of England's most successful captains announced that he was stepping down as England skipper, it was an emotional affair. Bringing an end to his five year reign, which had included regaining the Ashes after an 18-year wait, Vaughan was visibly upset. 'I gave it all I could give. I wish I could have had one more stab at Australia but I've had five unbelievable years, played in some exciting games and unbelievable series.' said the tearful batsman, who may have been even more upset had he known he would go on to star in Strictly Come Dancing.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Eric Cantona and the trawler 'When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea.' These were the words of Eric Cantona in a somewhat more cryptic press conference than average. The Frenchman was speaking in relation to the media's fascination in his behaviour following his 'kung-fu' kick on a Crystal Palace supporter. The poetic turn of phrase only added to the now mythical status of the Manchester United legend.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Roberto Mancini hits back Reacting to questions from the media about his future at Manchester City, a visibly angered Mancini took the assembled media aback when he said: 'I don't understand why you continue to ask me (about) last year, last month. This is finished. 'Why? Why, for which reason? Why do you continue to ask me, 'Last year you had a chance to go'? 'I stay here because my work is here. I worked for two years. I built with the chairman and the owner, this team. We won three trophies in two years. For 50 years we didn't win. Never.' Mancini was sacked before the end of the campaign.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Brett Favre 'retires' Brett Favre is widely considered one of the greatest quarter-backs of all time, so when he announced his retirement in 2008 it was something of a big deal. The Mississippi born player openly wept as he explained: 'I know I can play, but I don't think I want to. And that's really what it comes down to.' With football fans believing they had seen the last of Favre, the word 'think' that he used in his statement should have been a clue that maybe not all was what it seemed. Just a few months later, Favre signed up with the New York Jets.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Sir Alex Ferguson The former Manchester United manager's press conferences always had the capacity to surprise. Ferguson's standing in the game meant he could do, or say, almost whatever he wanted - and journalists tended to think twice before challenging him. Yet before a clash with CSKA Moscow in 2009, one journalist decided to ask him about his improper conduct charge in relation to the referee Alan Wiley. Fergie was not amused. He rose to his feet and left the conference room after saying: 'Silly question and it gets no answer. I've nothing to say about it. I'm at a press conference for a game tomorrow. I'm here to talk about that. Goodnight.' A few years later, when asked about Ryan Giggs amid allegations about the winger's private life, microphones picked up Ferguson enquiring who the journalist was before suggesting that the hack be banned from the next press conference.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Kevin Keegan surprise In 1980, Southampton manager Lawrie McMenemy called a press conference to announce the arrival of a new player. But when European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan strolled out - the room was left stunned. Southampton were a relatively small club and were only just beginning to establish themselves in the top division. That they had signed a player of Keegan's stature was one of the greatest scalps of all time and a surprise to the whole world of football.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Anna Kournikova confidence Former tennis star and model Anna Kournikova didn't take too kindly to questions put to her in 2002 after she had been knocked out of Wimbledon. When asked if her confidence was low she stood up, disappeared from view, and asked if the interview could be restarted. She decided to carry on and said: 'You're asking a question and then you're saying my confidence is low so you're answering it. Who are you to say my confidence is low?' In the brief but tense exchange that followed, Kournikova insisted that her off-court commitments were not affecting her form. 'No, I don't think it detracts from my tennis,' she said.
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The strangest press conferences in sport Jose Mourinho 'special one' When Mourinho arrived in England as manager of Chelsea, the public weren't quite sure what to expect. This guy had won the Champions League, he had celebrated ecstatically on the Old Trafford touchline when his team shocked Manchester United and the word was that he was something of a character. And in his first press conference he didn't disappoint as he announced: 'Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one.' The name stuck - and after leading Chelsea to their first title in 50 years and going on to win trophies with both Inter Milan and Real Madrid - it became difficult to disagree.
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Wenger certainly believes Henry, who is Arsenal's all-time leading scorer, is capable of turning his hand to becoming a manager.
"Has he the quality to be a manager? Yes... but he has to decide to sacrifice his life," Wenger said last year.
"When you're a player, you think it's so simple to be a manager. When you are a manager, you think it's so complicated suddenly and if you're not prepared for that you cannot survive.
"One quality that you need is resistance to criticism when you feel it's not justified. I don’t know how he’ll handle that.
"He has to learn the job first. I have seen so many who have the qualities and they have not survived their first job because they are not ready."
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