(Adds news conference called)
LONDON, May 19 - Arsenal captain Thierry Henry
said on Friday he had decided to stay at the club following
their Champions League final defeat by Barcelona.
The 28-year-old France striker, who has been linked with a
move to the Spanish side, told The Sun newspaper: "I hope to
stay as long as I can keep running. I couldn't leave the fans,
they're like family."
Henry hopes to sign a four-year deal, the newspaper said.
Arsenal declined to comment but the club has called a news
conference for 1300 GMT on Friday.
One of the most coveted strikers in the world, Henry has
kept Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and fans on tenterhooks this
season by refusing to say whether he would stay at the club.
He joined Arsenal from Juventus in 1999 and scored his 200th
goal for the London club last season, making him their all-time
leading scorer. He scored 27 Premier League goals to again
finish as the competition's top scorer. He was named English
Football Writers' player of the year last month, the third time
he has won the award.
Henry said the brave performance of his team mates in
Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in Paris, when they played
most of the match with 10 men after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was
sent off, had helped to make up his mind to stay.
"My team showed me I didn't have to leave. They showed me
they had heart," he added.
"Everything was up in the air for a very long time. But at
the end of the day, the team raised their game.
"Don't get me wrong, I love Barcelona. But on Wednesday
night, Arsenal showed me they had heart.
"After we lost on Wednesday, I went over to our fans and
clapped them and they clapped me.
"I hope to finalise all the details today."
If Henry does re-sign it will be a huge boost to the club
ahead of their move to their new, larger Emirates stadium next
season.