THIERRY HENRY HAS underlined the huge impact Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola had on him during his playing days as he embarks on a coaching career with Monaco.
The France legend was presented to the media on Wednesday after returning to the club where he started out as a professional.
It is Henry’s first management job, having been on the staff with Belgium, and he cited the lessons learned from Wenger at Arsenal and Guardiola at Barcelona as key to his own development as a coach.
“I learned from those I worked with, whether they challenged me, or whether sometimes they did the wrong thing,” said Henry, who has signed a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 club.
“Arsene unlocked so many things in my mind — what it meant to be a professional, on how to perform.
“You learn from people, but also need to put your own mix into it. Pep for me is the reference. I re-learnt how to play the game when I went to Barcelona under him.
With Pep you can just talk about the game and he will not go to sleep. You will fall asleep and he’s still talking. He is way ahead of the game.”
Following Henry’s spell under Guardiola in Spain, the former Barcelona boss has continued to prove himself among the world’s best managers, winning the Bundesliga three times with Bayern Munich before setting a record with Manchester City en route to last season’s Premier League title.
Wenger, meanwhile, stepped away from Arsenal in May, but is now preparing for a return to football following several months away from the game.
The 41-year-old Henry takes the reins at a side languishing 18th in the table after Leonardo Jardim’s tenure fizzled out.
Henry knows there is hard work ahead, but he had no hesitation in accepting Monaco’s offer.
“For me when the offer came it was logical,” he said. “This is where I started. This club will always have a big place in my heart, so to be able to come here and start again is a dream come true.”
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