Thierry Henry, the current manager of France's Under-21s, is being considered by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) for their vacant manager's role following Rob Page's departure. This information comes from talkSPORT, which understands that FAW is keen on acting swiftly to find a replacement.
Rob Page was sacked last Friday after three and a half years in charge. His dismissal came after Wales' failure to reach Euro 2024 with an unfortunate 0-0 draw against Gibraltar in a friendly match proving the final straw. Despite this setback, during his tenure, the Dragons reached their first World Cup match in 64 years and made it to the second round of Euro 2020.
The FAW is now considering Henry as a candidate to take on the role of head coach. They have time on their side since Wales isn't scheduled to play until September.
Another high-profile appointment
Henry would be another high-profile appointment similar to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs who was hired in 2018. He has connections with Wales as he studied for his coaching badges with FAW.
Henry is one of Premier League’s biggest names and widely regarded as one of its greatest players. During his time at Arsenal, he won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups while also finishing runners-up in Champions League in 2006. He remains Arsenal’s all-time highest goalscorer with 228 goals after spending eight years from 1999 to 2007 there along with a short loan spell in 2012.
Despite being only aged at just over mid-forties, Henry has held several coaching positions including Arsenal Under-19 Coach, assistant at Belgium on two occasions and his current post with France Under-21s.
Henry yet to prove himself
In senior roles, Henry took over at Monaco and Montreal Impact. However, he failed to find much success in either post. Despite this, the former striker has been praised for his coaching methods and forward-thinking style. Benjamin Henrichs, one of his former players at Monaco, commended the coach despite a short spell that lasted only 20 games.
Former AS Monaco full-back, Benjamin Henrichs, said:
"He was a really good coach. If he took over a real top team today, it would work.
"You could tell that he had so much knowledge of the subject. It was really impressive. His training was very demanding. He is simply Thierry Henry, a real legend."
As the FAW continues its search for a new manager to succeed Rob Page's role, Thierry Henry emerges as a strong contender. His high-profile status combined with his experience both as a player and coach could potentially bring fresh insights to Wales' football team.
