Romelu Lukaku has shared a touching memory he has with former footballer Thierry Henry. Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, Henry won numerous trophies during his playing days with Arsenal and Barcelona.
After retiring from the game, Henry tried his hand at management, but his spells with Monaco and Montreal Impact did not yield the desired results.
However, he found success as Roberto Martinez’s assistant in the Belgian national team set-up, where they dominated FIFA rankings for a long period of time and reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.
It was during his time with the Belgian national team that Henry built a close relationship with Lukaku.
Romelu Lukaku and Thierry Henry have a close bond that goes beyond their love for football. The two met during Henry’s stint as Roberto Martinez’s assistant in the Belgian national team set-up. As part of his role, Henry was responsible for training the team’s strikers, and Lukaku was one of the beneficiaries of his vast experience.
As Martinez’s assistant, one of Henry’s responsibilities was to train the team’s strikers, given his wealth of experience, having won the World Cup with France during his playing days.
In a past video interview with Henry, Lukaku reminisced about what it was like to train alongside the French legend.
He revealed that Henry used to participate in the training drills and, despite his age, still displayed his impressive skill and class on the pitch.
Lukaku’s admiration for Henry is evident, and his recounting of their shared experiences is a testament to the bond they formed during their time together on the Belgian national team.
The Belgian striker’s comments also shed light on the importance of having experienced and knowledgeable coaches who can provide valuable insights and guidance to players.
Henry’s experience as a player undoubtedly played a crucial role in his success as Martinez’s assistant, and Lukaku’s account of their training sessions together highlights the benefits of having a former player as a coach.
The Belgian national team’s success during Henry’s time as assistant coach speaks for itself, and his impact on the team and its players cannot be understated.
“I think, in the national team when you were there, I think for us, the strikers, we had maybe the best time we could have ever had because the competition was there.”
The 29-year-old shed light on how Henry once embarrassed an unnamed player, causing him to leave the pitch.
“I remember when my brother came and he was like, ‘you did this skill in training’, but I’m not going to say any names, but the player left the pitch,” Lukaku said, as quoted by the Mirror.
The Red Devils did not have a very promising World Cup campaign after they exited in the group stage.
Martinez resigned immediately afterwards and ended up taking the Portugal job. Henry also left after the appointment of Domenico Tedesco as new coach, per AP News.
So close was the relationship between the striker and the former player, Lukaku wanted Henry to succeed Martinez as manager on a full-time basis.
It was previously reported on the forward saying the Frenchman had the distinction of having won everything and had many players’ respect the respect of many players.
Despite Lukaku’s hopes for Henry to succeed Martinez, the Belgian Football Association opted to go with Tedesco instead. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Henry, but his legacy as one of the greatest strikers of his generation is secure.
Before Tedesco’s appointment as Belgium’s new head coach, many names had been floated, including Manchester City legend, Vincent Kompany.