Aston Villa eyes Henry

THIERRY Henry, is set to be the new manager of Aston Villa and his first “signing” will be John Terry.

Terry, who yesterday confirmed his retirement as a player, is the favourite to return to Villa Park as Henry’s No 2 in a dream line-up for the club’s hierarchy.

It is believed both were interviewed for the post as manager but Henry’s greater experience got him the nod. The pair has been told they are expected to win promotion to the Premier League “sooner rather than later”.

Henry, Belgium’s assistant coach under Roberto Martinez, made it clear he wanted the top role during talks with the Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. Sawiris was particularly instrumental in driving the pursuit of Henry, who quit his £4 million-a-year (R77.6m) role with Sky in the summer to concentrate on becoming a manager.

He rejected an approach from Bordeaux last month.

Former Chelsea skipper Terry was said to be humble in conversations with the Villa board and was also believed to be concerned about stepping into the shoes of Steve Bruce, who took him to Villa Park as a player last season. He described Bruce as “a great man”.

But the former England captain, who made 32 league appearances for Villa, is now ready to follow Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard by moving into the dugout.

In a statement yesterday, he said: “After 23 incredible years as a footballer, I have decided now is the right time to retire from playing.

“As a 14-year-old, I made my best and biggest decision: to sign for Chelsea Football Club. Words will never be enough to show how much everyone at the club means to me, particularly the fans.

“And I also want to say a huge thank you to Aston Villa for giving me the opportunity to play at such a big club and captain it throughout the 2017/18 season. It was a privilege to represent such a renowned club with great fans.

“I look forward to the next chapter and the challenges ahead,” he said. – Daily Mail/African news Agency (ANA)