Romelu Lukaku says he's 'grateful to Thierry Henry' after reaching Champions League final - as Arsenal legend reveals he texted the Inter Milan striker 'every day' after Belgium's shock early World Cup exit
- Romelu Lukaku and Thierry Henry worked together with Belgium national team
- Milan will face either Real Madrid or Man City in Champions League final in June
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Romelu Lukaku expressed his gratitude to Thierry Henry after Inter Milan advanced to the Champions League final after beating its bitter rival AC Milan Tuesday.
Lukaku is on loan with Milan after a terrible season under Thomas Tuchel following his transfer to Chelsea.
He and Henry formed a strong bond while the Arsenal legend was an assistant coach with the Belgium national team.
While talking to the CBS broadcast crew during a post-game interview host Kate Abdo asked Lukaku: 'You guys seem like you are close. Do you miss working with Thierry?
'Yeah I do. [Thierry is] very, very old school and strict,' Lukaku said. 'When we met I was at Everton, I think it was my last season. I told him 'you know what, I want to hear it from you. Give me the business. What can I do better?'
![Romelu Lukaku and Thierry Henry shared some nice words for each other during an interview](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/04/71072273-12092077-Romelu_Lukaku_and_Thierry_Henry_shared_some_nice_words_for_each_-a-17_1684292900197.jpg)
Romelu Lukaku and Thierry Henry shared some nice words for each other during an interview
Lukaku: "I am very grateful to Thierry..." ¿
— CBS Sports Golazo ¿¿ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 16, 2023
Henry: "I texted him every single day to make sure he was OK" ¿
Thierry Henry is joined by Romelu Lukaku and explains how pleased he is to see the Belgium striker in a #UCL Final following his World Cup heartache. ¿¿ pic.twitter.com/2yInpnKvBm
![Lukaku's Inter Milan side had just defeated AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League semifinals](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/04/71072157-12092077-Lukaku_s_Inter_Milan_side_had_just_defeated_AC_Milan_in_the_UEFA-m-20_1684292988977.jpg)
![Henry coached Lukaku while he was an assistant coach for the Belgium national team](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/04/71072165-12092077-Henry_coached_Lukaku_while_he_was_an_assistant_coach_for_the_Bel-m-21_1684292995367.jpg)
Lukaku's Inter Milan side had just defeated AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League semifinals
'We sat together every day for that training camp. Eight days, two hours - watching every game and every clip... "There your touch was bad, there you did well".
'It was always half-and-half. And I had my best year in the Premier League that year. And then with the national side I started scoring every game. I'm very grateful to him - he still does it today.
'I like it. Tough coaches who tell me the real things I want to hear. You don't want to be pampered all the time, I think.'
Lukaku went on to explain just how it felt to be eliminated from the World Cup this year, in what many felt was the last chance for Belgium's 'Golden Generation' to lift the trophy.
'The World Cup was very tough for me. For the first time in 15 years playing football I went through a moment like this. I let my country down. Playing for your country is amazing and when you play at the World Cup you want to make the best of it.
'Because we all knew as players and staff that this was our last chance. And to go out in the way we did... I took everything into my mind when I left camp and I really felt down.'
Henry would go on to reveal he went the extra mile to make sure Lukaku was OK after their shock early exit from the tournament in Qatar.
![Inter Milan are now set to play in the UEFA Champion's League final on June 10 in Istanbul](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/02/71072249-12092077-image-a-21_1684285313015.jpg)
Inter Milan are now set to play in the UEFA Champion's League final on June 10 in Istanbul
OMG! Thierry got Romelu good. ¿ pic.twitter.com/h57iZ3nCbY
— CBS Sports Golazo ¿¿ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 16, 2023
'For two weeks I was worried and he knows it, because I texted him every day just asking him how he was because it wasn't easy,' the former Gunners striker said.
'You guys don't understand what was happening. It wasn't easy but he came out of it. And that's why I'm very proud of him. It was really far from where he is right now.'
Henry was then asked what it was like to work with Lukaku.
'He was a pain in the you know what, but in a good way. I was the same. It's always for the good of the team. Always try to challenge everybody,' Henry said.
'At times he's very critical of himself and that can bring him down sometimes, because he can't see the positive side of it.'
'Why I am happy with him is that after the World Cup it wasn't easy. But he came back and it's the first time I saw him like that against proper adversity when he's slowly but surely coming back and showing he can deliver no matter what - even when everyone is against him.'
![Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/02/71072257-12092077-image-a-32_1684285581532.jpg)
![Manchester City's Erling Haaland](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/17/02/71072261-12092077-image-m-31_1684285574964.jpg)
Milan will face either Real Madrid or Manchester in the Champions League final next month
'That's a sign of greatness. Hopefully, whoever you meet in the final, you can have a good game and you guys can hopefully win it and I will be happy for you.'
At the end of the interview Henry asked Lukaku for his shirt but the Belgian striker refused, saying he has to carry routine tests postgame.
Henry then savaged him by saying: 'He doesn't have my body so he doesn't want to show that.' Henry's co-pundits Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards lapped it up while the Arsenal icon smiled.
Inter Milan will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Istanbul on June 10.
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