What Henry told Thuram to help him become ‘one of world’s top 10 strikers’

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 11: Marcus Thuram of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and Feyenoord at Stadio San Siro on March 11, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Marcus Thuram believes that his development over the past two seasons at Inter has made him ‘one of the best 10 strikers in the world’, as he credits his growth to conversations with former stars like Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet, and Thierry Henry, which he considers pivotal to his evolution.

After spending much of his four-season stint at Borussia Monchengladbach playing as an offensive winger, the France international has gradually transformed into a central forward, with his time at Simone Inzaghi’s Inter being crucial in further honing his skills as a number 9.

Thuram has scored 16 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions this season, already equalling his previous best goal tally in a single campaign, with more than two months of action still to play. However, he believes there is still plenty of room for improvement.

How Henry’s advice helped Thuram become one of the 10 best world’s strikers

“Ranking the 10 best strikers in the world on the spot is very difficult,” Thuram said in an interview with Onze Mondial, as reported by Calciomercato.com.

“But if, through your question, you’re asking if I consider myself one of the 10 best strikers in the world, personally, yes, I am convinced that I am one of the top 10.

“Why? Because today, at 27 years old, I am in my third season as a central forward. I’m developing many aspects of my game, I’ve come a long way, and I have the opportunity to keep improving as a number 9.”

The Nerazzurri striker conceded that speaking with some of the best strikers of the previous generation helped him get valuable advice and ‘save a lot of time’.

“I’ve spoken with Anelka, Trezeguet, and Henry,” Thuram continued.

“They’ve given me advice. The advice changes depending on the player and what they liked to do. But one thing is certain: talking to these types of players saves a lot of time.

“A powerful quote? I would tell you something Thierry Henry said about repeating the actions you like on the field. He always told me: ‘If there’s a specific play you like and that you master, you need to do everything you can to put yourself in that situation. We shouldn’t play randomly, we need to be able to create that preferential situation.’

“The more situations you manage to master, the more unstoppable you become.”