SAYS OLDHAM BOSS LAURENT BANIDE

THIERRY HENRY has played under some of the biggest names in football, from Pep Guardiola to Arsene Wenger and Frank Rijkaard to Aime Jacquet.

But ask him who is the best coach he has worked with and he will say Oldham’s Laurent Banide.

Banide was youth coach at Monaco in the 1990s and played a huge role in shaping Henry’s hugely-successful career, along with those of David Trezeguet and Dado Prso.

He moved up to become head coach in 2006 and worked his magic on Yaya Toure, enabling the Ivory Coast star to secure a move to Barcelona the following summer.

“I saw Thierry in Monaco the last time I was there and David too,” said Banide. “Big respect for these fantastic players. Every time it’s a pleasure to see Thierry, Yaya and David. Working with those players was fantastic, it was amazing.

“I’m happy they say positive things about me, but I’m humble and I’m just trying to do my best. They were big talents. I did my job and I’m happy because they have had good careers.”

Banide, 51, who signed a oneyear deal with Oldham last month, is steeped in football and his dad Gerard managed Monaco twice in the late 70s and in 1993.

Banide, who had spells at seven clubs in the Middle East, followed in his father’s footsteps when he returned to the Ligue 1 side in 2011.

He said he did not hesitate when Oldham owner and chairman Abdallah Lemsagam offered him the head coach’s job at the Latics, the fifth man to sit in the Boundary Park hot seat in 12 months.

One of his predecessors,