Luis Henrique reveals his ‘surprise’ at returning to Marseille | OneFootball

Last weekend, for the first time this season Luis Henrique (22) was not part of the Olympique de Marseille starting lineup as the club defeated local rivals Montpellier HSC. However, Henrique still found himself on the scoresheet as he put the finishing touches on the 5-0 demolition.

The young Brazilian winger has made himself a key part of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans this season registering four goals and three assists across eight matches. However, less than a year ago it looked as if Henrique had no future at Marseille as the club searched for a willing party to buy the attacker in the January window following the end of his loan at former club Botafogo.

It had looked like Henrique had outstayed his welcome and patience with the winger who had arrived as an 18-year-old in 2020 had worn thin. The winger had struggled to adjust to life in Europe, and with only one goal and one assist to his name at Marseille, his time as an attacking option was mistakenly thought to be over.

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It was a mix of an intervention from then-manager Gennaro Gattuso and an injury crisis that kept Henrique in the team beyond the the transfer window. As Henrique explained in an interview with Le Parisien, “Above all the surprise was returning to Marseille. Afterwards, I was able to play half a season and then this summer, I expected a proposal for a contract extension to be able to help the club.”

Asked whether arriving at such a young age (18) to Marseille had been a mistake, Henrique was honest, “It was a very quick decision to make. It’s something I often think about. I hadn’t played 20 games as a professional. It’s perhaps a common situation in Brazil, players with little experience are contacted by big clubs like Marseille. At the time, Botafogo was in urgent need of money.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland