Thierry Henry back to Arsenal? Someday, yeah … but let’s not get carried away

Headlines across the way are alight this morning with talk of Thierry Henry’s third spell at Arsenal.

It would be a splashy story if the fab Frenchman were to land at the Emirates for a third spell, as he chatted about in general terms during Tuesday’s MLS All-Star press conference.

But in the reach to gin up the story just a smidge, the British press is making a wee bit too much of this one.

What Henry told the assembly of mostly American writers and broadcasters (with just a few English accents in the mix) is that he absolutely will return to Arsenal one day. What role? Who really knows? Because Henry certainly doesn’t.

“Coaching does interest me but I don’t know what my talent is going to be after I have finished my career,” he said. “But I will go back to Arsenal.”

He said it the way you or I might say “I really want to go visit Spain one day. I’m sure I will – I just don’t know when.”

Some of the reports made it sound like Henry, who will be 35 in about 18 months when he completes his current deal with the Red Bulls, is about to suit up for Arsene Wenger in the “sooner” rather than the “later.”

The Red Bulls striker, who will almost surely be a starter in tonight match at PPL Park, said pretty clearly that he wants to “finish his career” and then have his next fly-by around the Emirates.

By the way, Henry also said this: “I don’t know, maybe it’s just as a fan.”

The reports out of England that I saw didn’t bother to mention that part.