He was the right man at the right time for the New York Red Bulls. Having just moved into their jewel of a new stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, they needed something to capture new fans and a local media market which had somewhat lost interest. The signing of Thierry Henry fit the bill, with the legendary striker not just going on to become one of the most influential figures in RBNY’s history, but Major League Soccer as a whole.

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Now Henry will attempt to make a similar impact as a manager following his confirmation as the Montreal Impact’s new head coach. It always seemed likely that Henry would one day take a coaching job in MLS. That he accepted an offer from Canada and not from the Red Bulls was more of a surprise, but in a French-speaking, diverse and most suitably, cool, city like Montreal the 42-year-old may well feel at home.

MLS might also be the right place at the right time for Henry. This is a league that’s starting to earn itself a reputation as a proving ground for young managers. Not so long ago, MLS struggled to attract high-caliber coaches. For all the big name stars lured across the Atlantic as designated players, MLS managers tended to be former stalwarts of the league (like Jason Kreis and Ben Olsen) or the same old suspects (like Dominic Kinnear and Sigi Schmid). The (ill-fated) appointment of Ruud Gullit by the LA Galaxy in 2007 was about as adventurous as it got.

Henry’s arrival at Montreal, however, only adds to a growing trend. The Frenchman should aim to follow the precedent set by his former Arsenal and international teammate Patrick Vieira, who got his senior managerial start at New York City FC, proving himself in the Bronx before making the return to Europe with Nice. Even for a figure of Vieira’s stature, MLS was useful to him as a stepping stone.

Jesse Marsch is another who has proved the league’s worth for young managers. Of course, unlike Vieira he was an MLS native, playing as a midfielder for DC United, the Chicago Fire and Chivas USA, but did enough during three years in charge of RBNY to first attract the attentions of RB Leipzig, where he served as assistant for a season, and then Red Bull Salzburg, where he became the first American coach to win a Champions League game this season.

Of course, the Montreal Impact job isn’t Henry’s first in senior management. That came at Monaco where the 42-year-old lasted just 20 matches in charge. Indeed, Henry did nothing to hint at any top level potential as a coach during his time in Ligue 1 and so he needs this opportunity in MLS to show a truer reflection of himself.

Montreal Impact president Kevin Gilmore clearly liked what he heard, with Henry the only candidate they interviewed for the job. Did this allow them to do due diligence on a coach who flamed out spectacularly in his first and only managerial job to date? Have Montreal been seduced by Henry’s name rather than his qualifications for the position?

Another MLS precedent for Henry to follow would be the one set by Frank de Boer in 2019. The Dutchman arrived at Atlanta United’s new manager as damaged goods having flopped badly at Crystal Palace and Inter. Early on it seemed that he might flop at Atlanta too, but his ideas and methods took root over time, taking his team to the Eastern Conference final. If de Boer gets another chance in Europe it will be in no small part down to the work he’s done in MLS.

Even De Boer’s Atlanta United predecessor, Tata Martino, used MLS in his resume to secure his next job, taking over as Mexico national team boss after winning MLS Cup in 2018. Sure, he already had a lot on his resume, working with Lionel Messi at both Barcelona and Argentina, but defeats in back-to-back Copa América finals left him with a point to prove. He did that at Atlanta United.

Henry is widely regarded as a student of the game and having worked under Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger as a player he has surely soaked a lot up. As is the core challenge of management, he now has to impart that wisdom and knowledge on his Montreal players and make sure it sticks.

At Monaco, Henry often struggled to understand why his players couldn’t perform instructions as well as he could as a player. Encouragement very quickly became frustration and this was with a squad that included Cesc Fabregas, Radamel Falcao and Nacer Chadli. If Henry allowed Monaco’s lack of quality to frustrate him, he might get a shock at his first Montreal Impact practice session.

As an MLS franchise, the Montreal Impact have long occupied a strange no man’s land between the marquee level and the bottom feeders. They have made big moves before, like the one to sign Didier Drogba back in 2015, they have shown ambition, like with the appointment of former Aston Villa and Lyon manager Remi Garde in 2017, but have never been able to match the likes of the LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, Los Angeles FC and rivals Toronto FC both in terms of mainstream attention and silverware.

Henry’s appointment on its own won’t do that, but Montreal hope that his arrival at Stade Saputo will herald a new age for the club. The Frenchman’s arrival in MLS as a player nine years ago carried a certain significance and the same could prove to be true of his return to the league as a manager.