Thierry Henry wishes Kylian Mbappe stayed at Monaco

Henry's Monaco host Mbappe's PSG on Sunday in the French Ligue 1

Posted Saturday, November 10, 2018 by Skysports.com

Thierry Henry wishes Kylian Mbappe stayed at Monaco
Kylian Mbappe followed in Thierry Henry's footsteps by graduating from Monaco's academy

Thierry Henry has heaped praise on "alien" Kylian Mbappe, saying he would have liked him to stay at Monaco.

Henry, who was appointed Monaco boss last month to replace the sacked Leonardo Jardim, has had a tough start to life in management - losing three of his opening five games and drawing the other two.

Monaco find themselves second-bottom of Ligue 1 after 12 games - level on points with last-placed Guingamp - and next up they play host to league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Much of Monaco's struggles have been credited to the selling of their star players, and that fact may be made abundantly clear when Mbappe returns with PSG on Sunday.

Asked about Mbappe, he said: "We have a star. He is an outstanding player and let's be happy that he is in France. I would have liked him to still be here at Monaco. The match [against PSG] would have been easier for us.

"What can you say about Kylian Mbappe? Everyone talks about his dribbling, but I have always talked about his game intelligence at his age. I have rarely seen that."

Henry, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, believes his compatriots exploits at this summer's tournament in Russia mean the Balon d'Or must go to a member of the Didier Deschamps' squad.

"I think it would be a shame if a French player does not win the Balon d'Or, apart from Eden Hazard because he was extraordinary at every Wold Cup match - defensively and on the counter-attack," he added.

"But logically, a French player should win. Why not Varane? He won the Champions League, he was very strong.

"There is the alien (extra-terrestrial) Kylian Mbappe, and also Antoine Griezmann. But I can also mention many players."