Arsenal Legend Henry Says Wenger Should Stay Forever

Arsenal great Thierry Henry feels that the club should keep its French manager Arsene Wenger for life.

Henry has described his relationship with the North London club as that of a fan and has rubbished some of the criticisms that have been directed towards his fellow countryman in the last season.

“I know some people had a go at Arsene recently,” Henry told Arsenal.com. “I don’t know when it is going to happen but we all know that one day he is going to have to stop or go.”

The Arsenal legend said Wenger has changed the face of the club and if he were in charge, he would keep Wenger as manager for life. Henry also said that Wenger has been going through a rough time recently but will surely come over that in the next season.

“They were close enough to win it but they didn't. In football, you get judged on what you win. [People] will realise what Arsène was all about the day that he stops,” Henry added.

Henry also said that he wants to return to Arsenal in the future in an off-field duty.

“I would like to,” he said. “It’s a big thing. I would love to be part of the Club one day but it’s not up to me. And right now, I think they are in the right hands. Everybody knows that one day I would like to come back here but, as a player, I doubt it.”

The enigmatic striker has enjoyed eight years as a Gunner in North London under the guidance of Wenger and will return to the club this weekend with New York Red Bulls for the Emirates Cup, according to an Arsenal.com report.

Henry was picked by Wenger for Arsenal in 1999 from Italian club Juventus for £11 million after Henry left French club Monaco in January, 1999 where Wenger was the manager at that time. It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer. Henry made 254 appearances for Arsenal and managed to find the back of the net 174 times. Henry was one of the top commercially marketed footballers and was ranked ninth in the world in 2006.