"I will never do that": Henry defends himself after Yamal's predicament

France legend responds

Thierry Henry has hit back at the criticism aimed his way over his comments at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, which he co-hosted with Kate Scott.

In a video clip released after the event, Henry tackled the two moments that sparked controversy: his question to Lamine Yamal, and his exchange with Scott while presenting the Socrates Award.

As Yamal stepped up to collect the Kopa Trophy for a third straight time, Henry asked him whether this was really the award the Barcelona star wanted, pointing out that he was chasing the bigger prize, the Ballon d'Or.

Some viewers branded the question inappropriate, accusing Henry of embarrassing the young player and bullying him. Others saw it as nothing more than a joke.

Henry explained he asked because this was Yamal's third Kopa Trophy, while the main award still eluded him.

He said he understood if some people did not care for the joke, but he stressed that he is one of Yamal's biggest admirers and loves watching him play. He even called the Barcelona star one of the players he would pay money to watch.

The second row flared up after Henry's chat with Scott about the Socrates Award, named after the late Brazilian football star. He teased his co-host over her pronunciation of the name, its link to the Greek philosopher, and corrected her.

Some viewers found his response rude. Andrew Downie, a writer who authored a book about Socrates, said Scott had pronounced the name correctly and labelled Henry's behaviour rude.

In the clip he posted, Henry said Scott was in on the joke and deliberately played along. He admitted some people might not find it funny, then asked them to stop calling him disrespectful.

He said: "I would never do that," insisting he would never set out to offend Scott or Yamal.

Henry now works as a football analyst for CBS Sports, where he regularly breaks down the UEFA Champions League alongside Kate Scott, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.