Arsenal cult hero, 32, in line for shock role at Olympic Games with Thierry Henry ready to call him up to France team

FORMER Arsenal Alexandre Lacazette is “on the list” to play a surprise role at the Olympic Games for Thierry Henry.

Lacazette, 32, has been capped 16 times by France during his career and scored three times for his country.

Getty

Thierry Henry could spring a few surprises with his French Olympic squad[/caption]

AP

Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette could be going for Olympic gold this summer[/caption]

However, he has not represented Les Bleus for SEVEN YEARS – but that could change at Paris 2024.

Lacazette left Arsenal for Lyon in 2022 and he has been in sensational form for them since with 42 goals in 60 matches in the top-flight.

Despite his prowess, his team were in the relegation zone after 16 games this term until Pierre Sage took over as manager.

But Lacazette has fired eight goals since the turn of 2024 as the strugglers climbed up the table.

That form could be about to land the hitman a shot at winning a gold medal for his country.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is the manager of France’s U21 side and will be in charge of the team that enter the Olympics this summer on home turf.

He holds grand ambitions of being able to include Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud in his squad.

And now Henry assistant, another ex-Arsenal ace in Gael Clichy, has told Telefoot that Lyon skipper Lacazette is also on the list.

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He said: “I see that he has a lot of playing time, I see that he is decisive and above all I see that he is a captain. He is a part of this list.

“Inevitably, there will be some surprises.”

Lacazette spent five years playing in London for Arsenal and scored 71 goals in 206 games under Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.

He lifted the FA Cup in 2020 with the Gunners but returned to Lyon in 2022 after leaving them for the Emirates in 2017.

The star recently admitted how he was left shocked by the lack of facilities for young footballers in England.

He said: “One thing that surprised me in London: there is no ground where you can play football for free.”

And he also hit back at those critics that claimed he has “finished”.

Lacazette added: ““Many people thought I was finished.

“They were saying that I wouldn’t succeed, that the club was making a mistake.

“I wanted to show that Lyon were right in calling on me.”