Thierry Henry has clarified his comments after coming in for some criticism for a question directed at Lamine Yamal during Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Yamal picked up the Kopa Trophy for the third time, with Henry asking the teenager: “That’s your third one, right? But is it the one that you really wanted tonight?”

The comments did not go down well with some people and Henry has now responded in a post on social media.

“I want to clarify some stuff as some people got really excited for actually nothing. With Lamine Yamal, it wasn’t about checking his ego at all. I simply thought that, since it was the third time he had won that trophy, I was just asking him if it was the one he truly wanted,” he said.

“We all knew what he wanted. Unfortunately, he didn’t get it. I’m a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn’t checking his ego at all. If you don’t like the joke, I can understand that. But please, don’t do that; he really is one of those players I will pay to watch—I love him.

“I was just asking him if it was the one he really wants, because I knew the real prize was coming after —which, unfortunately, he didn’t win. He’s a hell of a player; I love watching him, and I would pay to see him play.”