Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 7y

Thierry Henry 'ideal' for France under-21 job - Raymond Domenech

Thierry Henry has the "ideal profile" to take over France's underperforming under-21 team, former coach Raymond Domenech believes.

Current under-21 coach Pierre Mankowski is reportedly on the verge of losing his job after failing to successfully guide the team, which featured Celtic's Moussa Dembele and Paris Saint-Germain's Adrien Rabiot, to next summer's 2017 UEFA Under-21 European Championship.

Domenech, who had an 11-year tenure at the head of France's under-21 side before moving up to the senior team in 2004, told Europe 1 that Henry should be the man the French Football Federation look to if they part ways with Mankowski.

"This generation needs a young coach who wants to prove himself. To transmit that desire, you have to have done it yourself," the 2006 World Cup runner-up said. "I could really see Thierry Henry doing that: he has the ideal profile, he's a real example, he represents something."

Since ending his glorious playing career at the New York Red Bulls in December 2014, Henry has made little secret of his intention to become a coach, and coached the forwards in Arsenal's youth set-up before joining the backroom staff of Roberto Martinez when the former Everton boss was appointed Belgium coach this summer.

"He has that ambition, that desire to succeed," Domenech added. "To do that, you need someone who can pass on that message, and who is credible because of their past as a player. For him, it would be a good springboard to other teams."

^ Back to Top ^