At least New York City landed one of its coveted free agent targets this summer. The New York Red Bulls — who actually play at a new stadium in Harrison, NJ — announced Wednesday that French soccer legend Thierry Henry has agreed to a multi-year contract to come display his skills stateside of the Atlantic. Henry, who is expected to make his debut July 22 in an exhibition match against Premier League club Tottenham, had the following to say in an interview on the Red Bulls website:
“Some people might think I am going to go there for vacation – I do actually go there for vacation – but it won’t be for vacation this time. I’m a competitor and I don’t like to lose.”
There is no doubt that this is a good thing for the Red Bulls and MLS, both of whom will benefit from the publicity and star power that Henry commands. But lets not forget, the once crowned prince of the French national team is now 32 years old and landed in the MLS after being let go from Barcelona for lack of quality performance. So while the hype is now officially on, Red Bull fans better hope that Henry brings a few years of quality soccer rather than just a brief spectacle for the franchise.
Sources:
Thierry Henry joins New York Red Bulls [FOXSports]
