Thierry Henry has confirmed he will not take up a coaching role with Arsenal's under-18 side, after manager Arsène Wenger reportedly told him he would have to give up his work as a television pundit. The 38-year-old former France international, who works on Sky's Premier League coverage and appeared on the BBC's Euro 2016 output, had been offered the position by Wenger for next season.
Henry expressed his gratitude for the offer on Twitter, writing: 'I would like to thank Andries Jonker for offering me the chance to coach the U18's @arsenal, which I was honoured to accept. However I respect Arsène Wenger's decision and I want to wish their manager Kwame Ampadu, the boys and everyone at the club all the best for the forthcoming season.'
Henry worked with the club's academy players last season while working towards his Uefa A Licence. He is one of the top earners at Sky since joining the network in December. Wenger has a history of helping former players, with Steve Bould as his assistant and Freddie Ljungberg working within the youth ranks. Mikel Arteta, who retired at the end of last season, is also believed to have been offered a backroom role but chose to work under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Meanwhile, former Arsenal captain Tony Adams is expected to return to the club on a permanent basis. The 49-year-old former Portsmouth and Wycombe manager, who had heart surgery last year, has already been working with Arsenal's under-18s. Wenger himself has several television commitments but appears to be against members of his staff combining dual roles.
