Thierry Henry 'excited' by Belgium assistant job

Thierry Henry has told Sky Sports he is excited by the challenge of becoming Roberto Martinez's assistant at Belgium.

Sky Sports pundit Henry was named as part of Martinez's coaching team on Friday.

Previous boss Marc Wilmots was dismissed after Belgium lost to Wales in the quarter-finals at Euro 2016, but Henry believes they have the ability to 'make history' if they can change their mentality.

"It is an exciting challenge, but one of the things we are going to have to work on is the team's mentality to make sure they can become a great team," Henry told Super Sunday.

"I am the second assistant, Roberto is the main guy and I will help with the structure and help him make sure that the team goes really far.

"I think this team can make history, it is just a matter of believing in themselves."

Belgium have been drawn in Group H alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus and Estonia as they attempt to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

However, the former Arsenal striker - who won 14 major trophies, including five league titles, in a 20-year playing career - believes Belgium will need to be at their very best to make it to the global tournament in two years' time.

"We [Roberto and I] are meeting tonight straight after my duties here to see how far we can go in that first game," said Henry.

"I myself as a player have been in this type of situation. The first game in Cyprus away from home - I know everyone thinks this will be an easy game, but it is an extremely difficult place to start.

"The conditions, the field, it is going to be hot, so it will not be an easy one.

"Greece did not start well in the last qualification, so I am sure they are going to want to erase that, Bosnia, nothing is easy nowadays.

"We saw what Iceland did at the Euros, so starting away from home against Cyprus will be very difficult."

You need belief, quality, a plan, guidance, philosophy, an identity, but you also need amazing players

Ultimately, though, Henry hopes his experiences with Belgium will help him when it comes to being a manager in his own right.

"You have to start with the start," he said. "Being able to be part of the Belgium setup and working with Roberto Martinez, who has been a manager for a very long time, and to work under him is going to be key for me.

"What is also going to be key for me is the chance to work with that bunch of players. I used to see them as a fan and now I am going to work with them and Roberto.

"Let's see how far we are going to go, but yes eventually if you work well and you go through the right process, then maybe one day why not?"

Henry also feels he can pass on valuable experiences from his 13 years playing for France, during which time he helped Les Bleus win both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, to this current crop of Belgium players.

"It is frightening [their talent]," he said of players such as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.

"I myself grew up as a player in a generation where we had to believe we could do it. We missed the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and we were known in France as a team that had good players, but when it came to winning, they never come around.

"So you need to understand you can do it. Believing in yourself is very important. We all know how hard it is to make a team a team, but that is the aim.

"Back in the day, Manchester City probably never thought they could never win the Premier League and now they are believing about winning the Champions League, so it is all about believing in yourself.

"You need belief, quality, a plan, guidance, philosophy, an identity, but you also need amazing players.

"And they have to understand what is at stake and make sure they are going to be part of history.

"At the end of the day, it is always about now. You never know if you are going to be part of the team, if you are going to be back, if you are going to qualify for sure, what is going to happen.

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"So when you have an opportunity to grab, you have to make sure you try to do it and make sure you are there.

"Now you have great teams all over the world, not only the Belgium team, but you have to focus and concentrate on what you can do and try to do your best."