Henry in pole position to take over Belgium after endorsements from players
Henry started his coaching career with Belgium in 2016, becoming Martinez's assistant. He left he took over his boyhood club Monaco in 2018, and then managed Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal) in the MLS before returning to his original position in the Belgium national team in 2021.
The Red Devils had a terrible time at the World Cup in Qatar. The team, called "too old" by one of its stars Kevin de Bruyne, managed just one narrow win in three matches and exited the tournament in the group stage. Martinez stepped down, ending his six year stint with Belgium.
With the federation looking to name a replacement sooner than later, Henry comes to mind as a logical choice. Belgian newspaper HLN reports the former prolific goalscorer has declared his desire to take the job and is open to earning a lower salary than his predecessor. The paper says Martinez - who was also a technical director - pocketed about 3 million euros a year.
Henry being named new head coach can be a move that helps unite a dressing room that saw heated atmosphere throughout the World Cup. The Arsenal legend is popular with the players, several of the experienced stars have come forward to publicly back him.
"For me Henry is the next coach of Belgium. There are no doubts, I say it openly: he will be the next coach," forward Romelu Lukaku said candidly in an interview with Sky Sports Italy..
"He has the respect of all the players, he has won everything. He knows how to coach, he knows what we have to do to get there. He wants to win, and I don't think the federation is going to get a coach who wants to change everything and start from scratch," the Inter striker added.
Defender Toby Alderweireld, who recently returned to his home country to play for Royal Antwerp, also sees Henry as the best option. “Henry has won everything you can win in his career. Also, he knows the team, which is important. I understand that you need to rejuvenate, but you also need to know where we come from. Henry would be the ultimate solution in that regard,” he said in a show called Peace on Earth on Belgium's VRT MAX channel.
Former Belgium and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is also on the shortlist of Martinez's potential replacements. However, reports in Belgium suggest he would reject the approach now as he's focused on leading Burnley back to the Premier League. The team managed by Kompany sits atop of the Championship table, with an impressive record of 16 wins, 8 draws and only two losses and a five-point cushion on second-placed Sheffield United.