'Thierry Henry will be the next Belgium coach' - says Romelu Lukaku with 'no doubts'

Henry is in the running for the role having been assistant to Roberto Martinez who stepped down after the nation's shock early exit from the 2022 World Cup.

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Arsenal and Premier League legend Henry joined Martinez's coaching set-up when he arrived in 2016, taking time out between 2018 and 2021 to try his hand as a head coach with Monaco and Montreal Impact.

Henry returned for the delayed Euro 2020 campaign in 2021, and was also on the bench for Qatar 2022, but the Red Devils struggled in both competitions.

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After a quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual Euro 2020 champions Italy, Belgium had a torrid time in Qatar, winning just a single game against Canada and finishing third in their group behind Morocco and Croatia.

Now at the end of their 'Golden Generation' with Eden Hazard retiring, Henry will be tasked with evolving the team, should he take the job.

Lukaku is sure of it, though, as he told Sky Italia: "For me Henry is the next coach of Belgium. There are no doubts.

"I say it openly: he will be the next coach. 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.

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"He knows the team, the league, the staff. For me he is the ideal coach for our national team.

"[If it isn't Henry] then I don't know who they will hire. But I don't think Belgium should start from scratch.

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"So far this generation hasn't won but we have to keep trying to win. 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. It's not worth it to me."