Tuesday 16 December 2014 16:09, UK
Ray Parlour believes Sky Sports have obtained a potential "top-class manager" in new pundit Thierry Henry.
The former Arsenal striker, 37, announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday and that he will become Sky Sports' newest football expert and ambassador.
Henry has pledged to help viewers improve their understanding of the game alongside Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, and former Gunners teammate Parlour insists he has a lot to give.
Speaking on the Morning View, Parlour said: “We could spend all morning talking about his record, his performances, his accolades – he was outstanding.
“It was a pleasure to play with him. He was a true gentleman and in the dressing room he was great to have around. He had lots of knowledge, that’s why he’s such a great signing for Sky.
“He is very intelligent and knows so much about the game. If he wants to, there is no reason why he can’t become a top-class manager.”
Henry and Parlour played together for five years under Arsene Wenger and won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups during that time.
Parlour looks back fondly on their shared experiences at Highbury and insists the signing of Henry, who went on to score over 300 goals in all competitions to become the club’s all-time top-scorer, is one of the best pieces of business Wenger ever made.
“When he signed we were thinking; how can we replace Nicolas Anelka, who was such a good player for us?” Parlour said.
“But signing Thierry Henry was one of the best pieces of business Arsene ever did. We thought Ian Wright’s record would never get beaten but Thierry stepped up and was a tremendous player for us.
“He loved the whole English mentality and the way we play the game, and living in London. He enjoyed the English banter and appreciated the togetherness we had as a squad, which he didn’t have that much of at Monaco or Juventus.
“He was such good fun. I was a nightmare for him with my English. I had to teach him all my slang and he actually used ‘beans on toast’ for ‘post’ on Sky.
“At the start, he struggled for six or seven games but scored his first goal at Southampton and, from then, the confidence he had on the pitch was something else. He became a joy to watch.”
