Thierry Henry ready to step in but wants Wenger to have ‘last word’

Arsenal great Thierry Henry has said he would not “back down from a challenge” if a vacancy arose to succeed Arsene Wenger as manager of the Gunners.

However, Henry is desperate for his under-fire fellow Frenchman to have the “last word” on an Arsenal career that started back when Wenger took charge of the north London club in 1996.

Long-running speculation about Wenger’s position at Arsenal intensified after the Gunners suffered a fourth successive defeat in all competitions, a 2-1 Premier League loss away to Brighton, on Sunday — a result that left them a huge 13 points adrift of the top four.

Former France forward Henry, currently working as an assistant to Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, was asked on Sky Sports if he would take the Arsenal job should the opportunity arise.

“Listen, I’m a competitor, you don’t back down from a challenge,” the…