Thierry Henry wanted Kylian Mbappe to lead France's attack at the Olympics. He ended up with Jean-Philippe Mateta. It looked like quite the downgrade, but Henry was happy, the coach keen to accentuate the positives.
“He’s an old-fashioned striker, so you can play a little more direct with him because he can keep the ball," the France legend told reporters after announcing his squad for this summer's Games on home soil. "In a way, he's a boring striker to play against, in that he doesn’t lose the ball much and he always goes at the last defender.
"He also uses his physicality well, he’s good with his head, and he scores goals. A striker like that gives you another dimension. He was also voted Player of the Year at Crystal Palace. It seems to me that he's not too bad!"
Henry's faith in the forward has paid off spectacularly, with Mateta having emerged as the host nation's unlikeliest icon by firing France into the men's football final, where they will meet Spain on Friday.