Thierry Henry says joining Arsenal is only a wish and that lot of hard work goes into staying at the top

Thierry Henry says joining Arsenal remains a wish and that it takes a lot of hard work to stay at the top

After ending his stint at the New York Red Bulls earlier this week, Thierry Henry has said that he considers a return to his former club Arsenal ‘a wish’. The 37-year-old enjoyed a memorable stint at the club between 1999 and 2007, scoring 226 goals in 369 appearances across all competitions. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had earlier said that Henry would return to the club in the future.

"That's the wish. Christmas is arriving soon, so it's a wish," Henry said. "It's not something that's going to happen like this. It is a wish. Everybody knows how much I love the club, my feeling about it. It is a wish right now.

I'm not trying to get out of the question, but it's only a day now [since I announced my departure], so, yeah, it is a wish." the former Barcelona forward said.

Henry was quick to state that just because he decided to leave the New York Bulls after spending four and half years there, doesn’t mean he is going to give up the game altogether.

"I was always going to leave after four-and-a-half years; that was always going to be the case, and that was never going to change.I had a blast. It wasn't easy at times, difficult at the beginning for me personally, but afterwards I embraced the league and I knew what the league was about. And I embraced New York, too." Henry said.

Henry as manager in the future?

Henry added that he is thinking of becoming a manager in the future and added that his success is a result of all the hard work that he has put in, over the years.

"I loved working and I wanted to be the best at everything -- the way I headed the ball, free kicks, reading of the game. I wasn't born with a gift for goals. As I started my professional career on the wing, I also worked on my crossing, which helped me understand the role of the guy who passes the ball. We give praise to the guy who scores and, as a result, we're too quick to forget the guy who busts a gut to cross the ball behind the defence." he said.

He also said that "the most beautiful thing is making the pass when you are in a position to score yourself." and further added that he never rested on his laurels at any point during his career.

"You know you're good enough to score, but you give the ball. You share. And you see that joy in the eyes of the other guy." Henry told the Guardian. "My team-mates will tell you that I have to be on edge to be good. It's when I'm bothered that I play well." he added.

I was never content and always aimed higher: Henry

He further went on to say that not turning to alcohol at any point helped him immensely and he always desired to reach greater heights during his career.

"I've never been someone who drank or partied regularly. You should never feel satisfied. Aim higher, always." he said.

Henry has been playing the game since 1994 and said that longevity was "also the ultimate accolade, especially when you're a striker with all the young guys coming through."

He further added that longevity was the most important thing and said that it takes a lot of sweat to remain on top.

"It's not just a question of staying power, it is also an obligation to perform. There is no more beautiful trophy than longevity -- to stay at the same level when people are expecting so much at each game. [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi ... Are people really aware of what they do, of their consistency of performance? Do they realise how tough it is to be always at the top?" he added.

When questioned about him being at the fag end of his career, Henry said that the time to quit for good would be "when you start to force yourself to do it." "I'm not talking about a reticence that would be linked to a physical problem, I'm talking about the heart that's not quite in it any more. When you don't feel like it, repeatedly." he said.