Henry praised Mbappé during an interview on RMC's "Rothen s'enflamme" show, saying he is a player who stands out both on and off the pitch.

Mbappé is one of the players Henry admires greatly. In a special interview with RMC, Thierry Henry spoke about Mbappé with considerable praise. Henry knows the player well, having been coach of the French Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Games, where France won silver and Mbappé was the tournament's leading assist provider. Since then, their relationship has only grown stronger.

Henry said: "Mbappé is different. He stands out both on and off the pitch. He's a really good person. Sometimes people might not understand him—for example, some of his decisions on the pitch. People don't understand why he moves the way he does. But he's exceptional in every aspect, with and without the ball. I don't want to say too much about his performance with the ball because everyone can see it's amazing, but his performance without the ball is incredible too. Many times when I watch the end of matches, I see he's run the most, won the most balls back, and is the most impressive player on the pitch."

"He always puts the team first"

Henry continued with admiration: "From a technical perspective, the heel flick, the bicycle kick in the World Cup... it's not the same as when Ibrahimović does it, because Ibrahimović knows the goalkeeper has come off his line. He wants to do it, and he does it. He's an exceptional player I've known for a long time. I lived in England and watched him play for Reading and Crystal Palace. He's a lovely person and always puts the team first. The last time someone asked him about the Ballon d'Or, he said: 'Give it to Harry Kane.' He's truly a different kind of player." Henry added that he recognized Mbappé's immense potential early on.

Henry said: "Yes, I never doubted him. Not for a second. For me, some players you don't need to watch twice. That's it. Wherever he is or whoever he plays for, the moment he touches the ball, you know. You don't need to look for anything else. Every time I talk to friends or acquaintances, I say 'Watch Mbappé closely, see where he goes, see what he does.'"

"People might not like the way he speaks to journalists, but he doesn't mean it"

Henry explained further: "He's the type of player who makes you fall in love with football again because things have been quite difficult lately. He's different in every way—how he does things, how he speaks. I know sometimes people might not like the way he speaks to journalists, but he doesn't mean it. That's just who he is. He's shy and reserved, and he doesn't really enjoy the interview zone. Another thing people don't often notice about him is his competitive spirit. There are very few creative players willing to work that hard defensively. He wants to play, and he wants to play for France. He could have chosen to play for England. His coach at Reading said that because he lived far away, he would arrive at the training ground very early in the morning, even sleeping in his car to make sure he wouldn't be late for training. He doesn't rely solely on his talent, which is very important."

Henry confessed he "could talk about Mbappé for hours." He concluded: "Every time I talk to friends, I tell them 'Look at what he does without the ball, look at his pressing, look at his positioning.' He's a simple guy, shy, who just wants to play football and especially wants to help his teammates on the pitch. He truly stands out."

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