Thierry Henry has urged his compatriots to "enjoy" Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for as long as he plays in France.
Ibrahimovic, 33, will face a French Football League disciplinary hearing next month and could be banned for up to four games after a foul-mouthed outburst during which he fiercely criticised the referee of PSG's defeat in Bordeaux and called France "a s--- country."
The Sweden international's comments, captured by TV cameras following the 3-2 loss at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, provoked a storm of criticism and the ire of a host of French politicians, including Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
Ibrahimovic apologised profusely for the incident, and said on Wednesday he has only love for French footballing life amid the fallout from his comments.
Henry, 37, who played alongside the PSG striker at Barcelona during the 2009-10 season, told L'Equipe that French football should feel privileged to have a global star in its midst.
"He's an extraordinary guy, incredibly nice, someone with whom I have laughed a lot," he said. "In France, people have to know what they want! We were complaining about not having international stars, and when a player of his dimension arrives, people end up complaining.
"Zlatan is an extraordinary player, out of the norm, someone who has marked the history of football. He has been champion wherever he has gone.
"He has his temperament, he says what he thinks and in the way he wants to. That has never bothered me. There are fewer and fewer players with that character.
"If he is punished for what he said after the defeat of PSG in Bordeaux, then he will be, c'est la vie! But France should enjoy this player for as long as he is still playing."
Along with the likes of David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta and Edinson Cavani, Ibrahimovic has helped PSG become a major force to be reckoned with in European football in line with the ambitions of the club's Qatari owners.
Henry, who started his professional career in Ligue 1 with Monaco before leaving for Juventus in 1999, admitted PSG have now become an attractive proposition for any player in the modern game.
"After leaving Monaco, I never returned to France, because I was happy where I was," he added. "But all current players would love to go to PSG, because they have put in place an extraordinary project.
"They are trying to become a new European power and to follow in the footsteps of Lyon by stringing together successive Ligue 1 titles. Well done them! They are improving the image of French football.
"Before, people in foreign countries didn't talk about French football. PSG have changed that, and Zlatan has contributed to that."