Thierry Henry says he will not work as an assistant coach at Arsenal as it must be the top job or nothing

FORMER Arsenal captain Thierry Henry has declared that he will not accept a job as a member of the management team at the Emirates if someone else is offered the manager's position in succession to Arsene Wenger.

Henry, 40, an Arsenal legend and the club's all-time record goalscorer is currently the assistant manager of Belgium's national team and has long been viewed as a long term replacement for Mr Wenger. With Arsene Wenger having left the club at the end of the just-concluded season, Arsenal are currently looking for a replacement and former midfielder Mikel Arteta is said to be the board's favourite.

Currently an assistant coach of Manchester City, Arteta, 36, played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016 and is already in advanced talks with the Gunners board and it is believed he will almost certainly be confirmed as the new manager. Sources close to the club say that the Arsenal board is keen to appoint Arteta as the manager and have Henry work with him as his number two.

However, Henry has revealed that he will not take up an offer from the club to join the backroom staff under Arteta, insisting that he wants the top position or nothing. Henry is keen on meeting with the Arsenal hierarchy and plans to present his ideas to the board of directors tomorrow.

Both former Arsenal players completed their UEFA Pro coaching qualification through the Football Association of Wales this week. Henry has been assistant to Belgium boss, Roberto Martinez, since 2016, while Arteta has been Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Nigerian fans in the UK who want to watch the friendly match between the Super Eagles and England at Wembley on June 2, will have to pay £70 (N34,000) for ticket. Ticket sales for the high-profile game are almost sold out due to high demand and the cheaper ones have been sold out.

There are concessions of £10 off ticket prices for students, under 16s and senior citizens for the game, whose tickets have been on sale since March 21. Both Gernot Rohr and Gareth Southgate will use the match as final preparation for the World Cup that kicks off June 14 and will submit their final 23-man squad for the tournament two days later on June 4.

England has played Nigeria on two previous occasions at the senior level, beating the Eagles 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley in 1994 and playing a goalless draw at the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan. England have never lost to an African team before and Gernot Rohr will be hoping to be the first manager to achieve this.