Belgium manager Roberto Martinez sees Arsenal legend and his assistant coach Thierry Henry as a future manager.

The former Everton manager had a lot of positive things to say about Arsenal’s record goalscorer, and told The Sun: “Thierry knows how to win at international level.

“When we were talking about where we want to get to, Thierry was in exactly the same position with the French team — a golden generation that had never won a major tournament. So it is very important for someone like him to bring all his experience and pass it on to the players.

“He’s very, very impressive — his attention to detail and his passion for football. I see him as a future manager — that is the natural path.”

Henry previously turned down a coaching role with the Gunners so he could continue to be a pundit on Sky Sports. However, he took the opportunity to be one of the assistant managers for the Belgium national team, since the infrequency of international matches meant he could continue to do both.

Perhaps in the future, when he has more experience and is more willing to leave TV punditry behind, Henry could have a go at managing a club. Gary Neville gave up his role as a pundit to manage Valencia, which turned out to be the wrong choice in his case.

But in my opinion, Henry could have to do the same to enter a serious coaching or management role at club level. For now, maybe this assistant role suits him better.

It allows the 40-year-old to get some experience of the top level without the pressure of his career riding on the decisions he makes. When he’s ready to make the step up to management, I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal were interested.