Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry has packed his bags and is following in David Beckham’s footsteps, by signing up for the MLS. The New York Red Bulls, who play in the Eastern Conference of the Major League Soccer in the States, will be the French star’s new home for the foreseeable future. There have been rumblings through the rumour mill about this happening in one of those “worst kept secrets scenarios,” but it was confirmed today that Henry has left Barcelona to head across the big pond on a “multi-year contract” according to ESPN. The 32 year will use this as a springboard for a new chapter in his life, and he will join up with former Aston Villa player Juan Pablo Angel at the Red Bulls, who are pushing for top spot in their conference. It will be a breath of fresh of air for Henry, who found himself left on the sidelines at Barcelona for most of last season, and after France’s miserable performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he is ready for a new challenge.
In one of those footballing twists of fate, the former Arsenal captain he is due to make his Red Bulls debut next week in a club friendly against his old North London rivals Tottenham, who are travelling the US as part of their pre-season warm-ups. Henry is one of the legends of the modern game, and has a glittering array of awards and honours to his name. This is a big name capture for the New York Red Bulls, who are looking to make their stamp in the MLS. They are currently embroiled in a race with the Columbus Crew at the top of the Eastern Conference, and the two sides meet in Ohio on Saturday. Henry though, won’t be ready to start that crucial game for his new club.
While you can read about how honoured Henry is to be going to New York, it is of course, all down to money. This is a nice payday for Henry, and while the standards of US football are rising, as seen at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the capture of these big stars who are past their prime in Europe’s top leagues, may hurt the MLS in the long run. The American game at the moment was clearly visible at the World Cup, which basically equated to a lot of hard graft and effort, which covered up frailties in quality. While big names like Henry are a great draw, a great marketing tool for the American teams, the MLS at the moment is still like a pasture for the aging stars of Europe’s once elite. Naturally the large contracts thrown at the likes of Beckham and Henry, will damage the development of home grown talent, although the MLS does have a smart salary cap in operation to try and combat the problem. The true benchmark though of when the MLS has really reached a higher level, is when they start exporting their stars to Europe en-masse. When high profile names from the US are making waves in the likes of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga, then American soccer standards will truly have arrived.
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