Sunday 17 February 2019 16:42, UK
Arsene Wenger says Thierry Henry has the character to come back from his unsuccessful short-lived tenure in charge at Monaco and enjoy a successful career in management.
The Arsenal legend left his position as Belgium assistant coach under Roberto Martinez to manage the club where he started his career but Henry was sacked just three months into his first managerial role.
Patrick Vieira has enjoyed greater success in his first season in charge of Nice, with the Ligue 1 side seventh in the table, and Wenger is confident both of his former players have the ability to excel.
"Both have the qualities to be outstanding managers," Wenger said at the Laureus Sport for Good presentation.
"If you arrive in October, and the team is in a very bad position, you have three months. Because in January everybody starts to become nervous that things could go very badly.
"You have less time when you arrive in the middle of the season. That is what happened to Thierry.
"How he bounces back will be very important. I think he has the quality and desire to make a career, and a career is judged on the longer period."
Wenger, who left Arsenal last summer after 22 years in charge, started out in management in France before a spell as manager of Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight saw him earn a shock appointment as Gunners boss in 1996.
"I started my job [with Nancy] at 33 years of age, I had very promising people around me, and many of them disappeared while some survived. Why? You need luck and to work hard.
"It's always very difficult to predict a career of a manager. It depends on the quality of the players and the confidence we get. But both have the qualities and I wish they make it a great career.
"It's very good for me to see that players I had continue to share our game with people and develop young players."
