Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is too hands-on for England job, says Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry doubts whether Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will ever take charge of England. The 67-year-old Frenchman has been strongly linked with the Three Lions role since Sam Allardyce's abrupt departure following a newspaper sting – but Henry believes Wenger is too hands-on for the job.

Wenger, who is currently under contract at Arsenal until the end of the season, has previously suggested he would be open to the England job should he leave the north London club. But Henry believes his former boss would miss the day-to-day interaction with his players.

"You can never say never, but I don't see it happening," Henry told AFP of reports linking the Arsenal manager with the England role. "I said recently that Arsene likes being on the pitch on a daily basis, and that's not the case when you coach a national team."

The Arsenal legend's remarks come shortly after Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn revealed the criteria for the England job. Glenn admitted he would favour appointing an Englishman, suggesting the Arsenal boss was no more than an outside candidate for the role.

"The preference would be for English because the missing link I think in getting consistent England performances in tournaments is linked to this issue of fear and pride, so the team identity," Glenn shared with BBC Radio Five Live.

"I don't want to rule out candidates who are not English that would also be terrific and also wanted to do the job for the long term. It would be crazy to narrow the pool so much but our preference would be for English."

Wenger recently celebrated 20 years since his appointment as the Arsenal manager. In recent times, however, he has come under increasing pressure from fans who are frustrated by their inability to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League crown.