Arsene Wenger warns Thierry Henry

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed club legend Thierry Henry to become a top coach, but said he must be willing to make sacrifices to succeed in the role, Soccrenet reports.

Wenger signed Henry at Arsenal in 1999, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer before leaving for Barcelona in 2007.

Henry became assistant manager of Belgium in 2016, and amid reports linking him with Bordeaux, Wenger spoke positively of his former player.

“Yes, he wants to do it (become a manager), he is intelligent and he has the qualities,” he told Corse Matin. “The existential question that we always ask ourselves is whether we are ready to sacrifice our life for the coaching profession.”

Wenger was also asked if he felt he had sacrificed his own life to manage Arsenal.

“Yes of course,” he said. “Being passionate is selfish work. When you are passionate, you steal your time from those whom you love and to whom you could have given much more.”

After leaving Arsenal in May, Wenger said he has not made a decision on his future.