Henry calls Olise a genius: 'You don't tell a painter how to paint'

Henry praised Olise's genius and commitment to France, recalling how the winger chose the Olympics over England's Euro squad despite Bayern Munich's interest.

Thierry Henry reflected on his relationship with Michael Olise in a podcast interview, describing the French winger as a generational talent who thinks differently from other players. Henry recalled how Olise was determined to represent France at the Paris Olympics two years ago, calling him daily to express his desire to compete for Les Bleus despite interest from Gareth Southgate's England and Bayern Munich.

Henry emphasized Olise's unwavering commitment to France, noting that the player was willing to risk complications with his club to pursue his Olympic dream. "He told me: 'Wherever I go, I'll just tell my club I'm going to the Olympics. Done,'" Henry said.

The former Arsenal striker compared Olise to an artist, saying managers should not try to instruct genius players on how to perform. "You don't tell a painter how to paint," Henry explained.

Olise will play his 30th international match on Thursday when France faces Italy in the Nations League group stage at San Siro at 20:45 CET. France will conclude their group campaign on Sunday with a home fixture against Turkey.