Arsenal legend Thierry Henry takes giant step towards Gunners' role after Uefa A licence

Thierry Henry has taken a stride towards fulfilling his dream of managing Arsenal after completing his Uefa A coaching badge. The France World Cup winner is now eligible to manage in The Football League or in lower leagues but requires a Pro Licence in order to manage in any of Europe's top divisions, including the Premier League.

Henry completed the course with the Football Association of Wales and worked with the Gunners' youth side in order to beef up his experience. The Frenchman admits to having held regular meetings with Arsene Wenger over the art of management, seeking advice from a man with over 30 years' worth of knowledge.

The 38-year-old who is Arsenal's record goalscorer has been heavily linked with one day taking charge in north London and even replacing Wenger when he eventually leaves the club. Wenger's contract currently runs out in 2017, marking two decades with The Emirates Stadium side.

News that Henry has upgraded his B licence comes after reports emanating from France that an agreement was in place between Arsenal and the ex-Barcelona forward to take over at the end of Wenger's tenure. Le Sport 10 claimed that L'Equipe journalist Karim Nedjari was confident Henry was ready to step into the shoes of his one-time mentor.

The Sky Sports pundit has been a constant critic of Wenger and Arsenal in his new broadcast role and Wenger recently took exception to questions from journalists regarding his potential departure. The Frenchman has been coming under increasing pressure as the club's season looks like imploding after being tipped as runaway title contenders.

Having made no secret of his desire to lead Arsenal, Henry's latest success will only swell rumours regarding his suitability for a position which the club's board will soon have to consider filling. "The thing is I have so much respect for Arsene, and if it does happen eventually, one day, it is going to have to be after him," he said, according to The Mirror. "I don't actually want to talk about it right now because he is doing such a great job, but hopefully after him, yes."