Arsenal icon Thierry Henry ‘wants to return to management with Belgium despite deal being worth less than Martinez’s’
ARSENAL legend Thierry Henry wants to become the next Belgium manager… and is open to a pay cut, reports suggest.
The Belgian national team is looking for its next manager after Roberto Martinez’s resignation following a disastrous 2022 World Cup campaign.
The Red Devils’ dwindling golden generation was knocked out of the group stages following some poor results and reports of backstage turmoil.
According to HLN, assistant manager Henry wants to succeed Martinez and carry the national team out of its current slump.
The legendary striker initially joined the team’s coaching staff in 2016 and helped then finish third in the 2018 World Cup.
But the 45-year-old then pursued a management career of his own as he took over at Monaco but only lasted for three months.
The Frenchman then tried his luck in the MLS at Montreal Impact but left two years later as he wanted to be closer to his family in London.
Despite his limited experience, Henry wants the top job in Belgium even though he is set for a lower salary.
Martinez earned around €3million (£2.7m) per year, including bonuses.
The same report from Belgium claims the ex-Everton boss’ replacement will “almost certainly” make even less.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
That means the Arsenal record goalscorer would bag even less than what he has earned as a pundit at Sky Sports and CBS, who have paid him around €5m (£4.4m) per year.
However, the ex-Barcelona star is not being deterred by that and has already informed the federation informally without officially applying.
The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Toby Alderweireld are very positive about Henry but it is unknown how the rest of the core team feels about him.
However, the France great inspires a lot of respect due to his successful playing career despite his previous coaching spells being short-lived.