“I didn’t have to convince anyone”: Top nation wanted Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise for its national team

France legend Thierry Henry has revealed that England pushed hard to recruit Bayern Munich's Michael Olise before he made his debut for Les Bleus.

In the summer of 2024, Henry was preparing France's under-23 national team for the Olympic Games in Paris. Olise was in his squad, but England wanted him for the European Championship in Germany shortly beforehand. "Michael called me every day to talk about taking part in the Olympics, even though the England national team wanted him for the European Championship. But I didn’t have to convince anyone," Henry said on the Kampo podcast.

Eligible for four national teams because of his background, Olise could have represented France, England, Algeria or Nigeria. He had played exclusively for France at youth level. According to Henry, a switch to the Three Lions was never an option: "Michael Olise has been a big fan of the French national team since childhood," he said.

Patrick Vieira, another former French star, had also spoken to Olise about his choice. "He explained to me that he sees a greater chance of becoming world champion with France than with England," Vieira told the sports newspaper L'Equipe. Neither country won the World Cup this summer: France, with Olise, and England were both knocked out in the semi-finals.

Under coach Didier Deschamps, Olise made his senior France debut in September 2024. Competitive appearances in the Nations League that autumn established him in the side and soon ruled out a switch of national teams. He now has 29 international appearances (11 goals) and is a regular starter under new national coach Zinedine Zidane.