Gunners’ squad will rally around Jeffers, says Henry

THIERRY HENRY insisted the Arsenal squad would rally around Francis Jeffers after the striker’s Cardiff red card, as he claimed that Phil Neville was fortunate to escape the same punishment.

Jeffers kicked out at Neville while the Manchester United defender was lying on the ground after a tussle between the two players during the Community Shield game.

Referee Steve Bennett, who was standing next to the incident, immediately showed Jeffers the red card. The former Everton forward faces a three-match ban, starting in a fortnight, just as he is looking to prove he deserves a future at Highbury.

Birmingham recently claimed to have been priced out of a move for Jeffers and the Gunners have been linked with a potential interest in Chelsea target Samuel Eto’o, the Real Mallorca forward.

However, Jeffers publicly apologised to his team-mates for his indiscipline after the game and they will now close ranks around him.

“What happened to him could have happened to anyone,” said Henry. “We are all with him and will wait for him to come back. We will all encourage him, that’s the way it is at Arsenal.

“It’s kind of tricky as the referee only saw the end of what was going on. If he’d seen the beginning, then maybe he would have seen Phil Neville holding the leg of Franny and that could have been a second yellow card for him.”

Fellow striker Dennis Bergkamp also played down the relevance of Jeffers’ dismissal, the 50th since boss Arsene Wenger took charge in 1996. “A lot of tackles were late as it was warm and we’ve just started the season so I wouldn’t make that much of it.”

Arsenal can ill-afford suspensions but at least they have the prospect of securing the futures of Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires on new contracts this week. Both French internationals are expected to put pen to paper on extensions to their existing deals.

Henry, who set an important precedent by extending his own contract, has seemingly not been worried about Vieira’s future, however, even though his team-mate could leave on a free transfer next year. “For me, there have been no doubts. With the way that he plays, you can see he is still putting his foot in,” said Henry. “He could have maybe tried to rest his knee, but he played against Celtic, Rangers and Manchester United, and has played well. I think that is your answer.”

As for himself, Henry is still looking to rediscover full sharpness after returning late to pre-season training following his involvement in the Confederations Cup.

Meanwhile Bergkamp claims he would have retired from football, if Arsenal had not raised their initial contract offer to ensure him a final season at Highbury. The Dutchman gave an indication of his frustration at the Arsenal board’s initial delay in offering him the right terms to ensure that he signed up to a one-year deal.

However, he is now determined to make the most of his final 12 months in the game, with the Champions League being his main goal.

“It would have been difficult for me to have one last season somewhere else and to finish my career with a club I might not have known. That wouldn’t have been worth it, so I would have retired.”

Bergkamp’s agent, Rob Jansen, had insisted that Arsenal’s opening offer was “embarrassing” given the Dutchman’s length of service at Highbury and his dedication to the cause.