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Belgium's National team coach Roberto Martinez has disclosed that Thierry Henry was instrumental towards his team's performances as they marched on to qualify for the world cup.

After getting rejected by Arsene Wenger for the U18 coaching position over fears that he may not be able to combine it with his media duties, Henry accepted a role with Roberto Martinez's staff in the summer of 2016.

Martinez saw his team go unbeaten through qualifying, becoming the first European team to clinch their place at Russia 2018 by winning all but one of their 10 matches, while they scored 43 goals, a tally bettered only by reigning champions Germany.

"Thierry has a big role" Martinez told FIFA. "The quality of his work is impressive, he still has that high demand for excellence that he had when he was a player and which made him one of the best players in the world.

"He also has that know-how and experience from winning a World Cup, and that is invaluable for us as we will have to overcome the mental barriers to do that.

"In the national team, you don't have long with the players, and Thierry helps us maximise the time spent with the players through his quality and his expertise.

"For a forward, for example, to be able to talk to him about his movement in the penalty area is a huge plus.