Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is reportedly the favourite to land the vacant managerial job at Aston Villa, with John Terry slated to become his assistant
According to a report by Daily Mail, Thierry Henry looks set to become the next Aston Villa manager, which is a vacant job following the sacking of Steve Bruce last week. The Arsenal legend is currently the assistant to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, and wants John Terry as his number two.
Henry enjoyed a stellar senior career spanning 20 years, eight of those being at Arsenal, where he grew in stature and became one of the most revered strikers of his generation. Having won every major trophy at club level in Europe as well as international football, the Frenchman retired as one of the outright legends of the game.
Since hanging up his boots, Henry has delved into punditry and coaching, and is currently the assistant manager of the Belgian National Side. Working alongside Roberto Martinez, the Arsenal legend helped guide the Red Devils to their best ever finish at a World Cup, and is now being linked with several managerial jobs.
In the early stages of the season, Henry was being lined up to take over at Bordeaux, before he snubbed the opportunity to join the club in his homeland. The Arsenal legend’s name though, has propped up again, with English outfit Aston Villa now looking for a new manager.
The Championship side parted ways with Steve Bruce following a poor start to the season, which has put them 15th on the table. The likes of Rui Faria and Brendan Rodgers were only on the English outfit’s shortlist, but Henry is believed to be their preferred target for the vacant job.
The Arsenal legend has held talks with the Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and expressed his desire to take the top job in the interviews. Another legend of the game who met the English outfit’s owners is John Terry, although the former Villa captain respectfully declined as he didn’t see it fit to step into Bruce’s shoes.
Henry though, is eager to have Terry by his side as his number two de to his know-how of the Aston Villa dressing room as well as the respect he commands from the players. Terry announced his retirement as a professional footballer last week, after initially being linked with a move to several clubs.
The Chelsea legend was also being rumoured to be on the return trail to Chelsea, albeit as the manager of the under-23 side, having also coached the under-19s as well as taken charge of one of their games. The report suggests that Henry and Terry are set to link up at Aston Villa, with the duo being told that promotion to the Premier League is their major objective.
A new era beckons for the famous English outfit that is struggling to return to its pomp. It remains to be seen if Henry and Terry can lead them back to the Premier League, should the Arsenal and Chelsea legends end up taking charge of Aston Villa.
