Thierry Henry to join Sky Sports

Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from football and that the next step in his career is to join Sky Sports as a pundit.

Arsenal’s leading goalscorer drew his illustrious career to a close after spells with Monaco, Juventus, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls, and on his Facebook page he revealed he’d be returning to London to embark on a career in the media.

“After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football,” he said.

“It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports. 

“I will hopefully share some of the insights, observations and experiences I have learnt over the years with you guys.”

Arsenal fans hoping that the legend might return in a coaching capacity may be disappointed, but even though Arsene Wenger said he was sure Henry would return to the club one day, he hinted there was work to do before that happened.

Speaking in November, the Arsenal manager said, “It has to be a job available and one that you get up in the morning and you have to do something – not an honorary job.

“He has to learn his job first. I have seen so many people who have the qualities to be a manager but not survive their first job because they are not ready.

“When you are a football 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.

“You learn to handle a dressing room and people. This job is about ideas and putting them into practice. You can only do that if you have the responsibility of the team.”

However, it’s believed that his work for Sky Sports will allow him to do his coaching badges and hopefully, at some point, return home where he belongs.

In the meantime, it’s good that Sky have added another pundit who can speak English in the correct tense. Rumours he’s been brought in to educate the two Jamies are, as yet, unconfirmed.