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BRUCE FORESIGHT

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce admits he could be jobless soon as Thierry Henry rumours build

Bruce has been head coach at Midlands club since 2016 but could be on his way out with new owners set to complete takeover

STEVE BRUCE has revealed he could face crunch talks with Aston Villa’s new owners as early as Tuesday – and be jobless by the time Villa play West Ham on Wednesday!

The 57-year-old boss admits he has heard nothing but positive noises during preliminary conversations with representatives of the club’s new wealthy owners in recent weeks.

 Villa are the eighth club of Bruce's managerial career, which began at Sheffield United in 1998
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Villa are the eighth club of Bruce's managerial career, which began at Sheffield United in 1998Credit: Getty - Contributor

However until Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and American fiancier Wes Edens outline their vision for Villa during crucial talks this week, he has no idea if reports linking Thierry Henry with his job are fact or fantasy!

Speaking for the first time about the seismic events of this week, Bruce confessed: “The new owners might want to sweep things clean and have their own man in.

“All the indications I’ve heard are that’s not the case but until I get in front of them we won’t know.

“That meeting could be as early as Tuesday, obviously the quicker, the better.”

 Henry quit his role as a Sky Sports pundit this week to focus on becoming a manager, and has since been heavily linked with Villa
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Henry quit his role as a Sky Sports pundit this week to focus on becoming a manager, and has since been heavily linked with VillaCredit: Splash News

Asked how it felt to see Henry’s name linked with his job, Bruce smiled before revealing: “I blurted my coffee this morning when I read about it, my phone was going crazy.

“Whether there’s any substance to it I really can’t tell you. Aston Villa is big news and because it’s a big club which makes big headlines.

"We’ll know more in the week. But as I keep stressing it’s not really about me, I’m delighted for the club itself.

“If you buy Aston Villa you’ve got to have deep pockets and it looks as if these guys have that. Let’s embrace it. For the football club this is fantastic news.”

Thierry Henry rolls back the years with a nice no-look pass to Zinedine Zidane and top finish in Friendly match with Arsene Wenger as boss
 Arsenal legend Henry has no prior managerial experience
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Arsenal legend Henry has no prior managerial experienceCredit: AFP or licensors
Neymar consoled by Thierry Henry and Eden Hazard after Brazil lose to Belgium in World Cup quarter final
 As Roberto Martinez's assistant in Russia, Henry helped guide Belgium to a third-placed finish at the World Cup this summer
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As Roberto Martinez's assistant in Russia, Henry helped guide Belgium to a third-placed finish at the World Cup this summerCredit: PA:Empics Sport

Bruce still believes he is the right man, with the necessary experience, to lead Villa back to the Premier League if he is given the financial backing Tony Xia struggled to provide.

“Since last summer we’ve been papering over the cracks,” he confessed. “We signed John Terry but realistically we brought in around £20million and spent £2million, yet we ended up one game away from the Premier League.

“I hope I’m given the opportunity. The indications were all positive a few days ago from conversations I’ve had with representatives of the new people.

"So let’s just wait, they’ve given the club stability again - it’s their prerogative what happens next.”

Aston Villa fans caught throwing PUNCHES in the stands after agonising Championship play-off final loss to Fulham
 Bruce and Xia both arrived at Villa in the summer of 2016, but they could now be following one another out of the exit door
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Bruce and Xia both arrived at Villa in the summer of 2016, but they could now be following one another out of the exit doorCredit: Getty - Contributor
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