Thierry Henry says Steven Gerrard should not take a break from football after retiring
Friday 25 November 2016 08:28, UK
Thierry Henry has warned Steven Gerrard not to take a break from football and admits he would loved to have played alongside the ex-Liverpool captain.
Gerrard announced his retirement from football on Thursday and admitted this week that he spoke to MK Dons about their vacant managerial position, but felt the role had come too soon.
Sky Sports football expert Henry, who has become assistant coach at Belgium since his retirement, has advised his former Premier League rival not to take too long to decide on his next role.
Asked if a break from football would be best for Gerrard, Henry told Sky Sports News HQ: "No, because that's not how I was and I'm sure that's not how he is.
"It's better to stay connected, know what's happening, make sure people don't forget about you. People tend to forget about you.
Henry added: "It's a different ball game, I'm learning that myself. You need to learn what it is to be a coach. It's totally different. He has all the attributes to do it. But it's not easy, trust me.
"As a coach, you have to deal with everyone. The press, players, staff, one guy with his ego, one guy that didn't play, deal with the training sessions, deal with the injuries."
Having made 710 appearances for his boyhood club, Gerrard left Liverpool for LA Galaxy in 2015 having won the Champions League and two FA Cup trophies with Liverpool.
Henry came up against the former Reds skipper on many occasions while playing for Arsenal and, discussing Gerrard's decision, has explained why the Englishman was one of the most "underrated" players in European football.
"It's sad for football because he was a special player, special man too," said Henry. "I have the maximum respect for Stevey G, just thinking about what he has done.
"I had the chance to play with so many great players and saw so many in this league. Alongside Paul Scholes, he is the player I would have like to have played with.
"He could do anything well, whether it was a nice tackle or assist, everything was done well. The quality that he had was at the time, especially in Europe, underrated.
"He was just an amazing player."
Gerrard opted to stay at Liverpool in 2004 instead of joining Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, going on to inspire a famous Champions League final comeback against AC Milan the following year to lift the trophy.
However, the 36-year-old finishes his career without a Premier League medal and Henry believes all football fans will have sympathy for Gerrard, no matter their loyalties.
"Everyone is sad that he didn't win the league," said Henry. "He's one of those players that whether you like Liverpool or not, it's a shame.
"Only he knows what happened there and why he didn't leave. Now we all know is, he stayed and only played for Liverpool in England. That should have happened, that happened, and no one can take that away from him.
"People can say, maybe if he went to Chelsea, he would win the league but for me, he made the right choice. He's a Liverpool man, hopefully he'll come back to Liverpool because now he is a wanted man in England."
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