• Premier League

Thierry Henry makes Arsenal return his Christmas wish

Thierry Henry wants just one thing this Christmas - a return to former club Arsenal.

After announcing he would quit current club New York Red Bulls when his contract expires this month, former Arsenal star Henry has now admitted he wants a move back to north London sooner rather than later.

• Can Arsenal win a major trophy this season?, at 5/1 with bet365*
• For full odds visit www.bet365.com >>
• *All odds correct at time of publishing.

The chances of a return look high - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Henry would be welcome back with open arms - and it appears the only question is what role the 37-year-old takes when he arrives back at the Emirates.

When asked on Tuesday about a possible return to Arsenal, Henry said: "That's the wish. Christmas is arriving soon, so it's a wish.

"It's not something that's going to happen like this. It is a wish. Everybody knows how much I love the club, my feeling about it. It is a wish right now.

"I'm not trying to get out of the question, but it's only a day now [since I announced my departure], so, yeah, it is a wish."

Henry, who spent eight years at Arsenal from 1999-2007 before returning on loan in January 2012, was quick to emphasise that his decision to leave New York did not necessarily mean he was retiring.

"I was always going to leave after four-and-a-half years. That was always going to be the case, and that was never going to change," Henry said. "I had a blast. It wasn't easy at times, difficult at the beginning for me personally, but afterwards I embraced the league and I knew what the league was about. And I embraced New York, too."

The departure of Henry will be felt especially by Bradley Wright-Phillips, who is this season's top-scorer in MLS with a record-equalling 27 goals.

"It's a sad day. It's a sad day," Wright-Phillips said. "I never fully accepted it until I heard it was going to be announced. It's going to take some replacing. I don't think you can replace the man."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd