The former New York Red Bulls forward claimed the standard of American nationals in the U.S.'s marquee soccer league has decreased

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Henry asserted former Americans in MLS were betterFrench forward played for Red Bulls from 2010-2014Made comments on appearance in CBS's UCL coverageGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Former New York Red Bulls star and European soccer legend Thierry Henry claimed the standard of American players in MLS has decreased over the last 15 years.

His assertion comes in the wake of a large number of American players moving to Europe to practice their craft. In the September friendlies, only two Americans called up to the national team were MLS players: Tim Ream from Charlotte FC and Patrick Schulte from the Columbus Crew.

AdvertisementWHAT HENRY SAID

In an appearance on CBS Sports, Henry made a bold claim about the talent levels in American soccer: "I played in the MLS, I thought the American-based players in the MLS were better than the American players now in the MLS."

Watch the full clip below:

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Henry played in a much different MLS than the one of today. He made 122 top flight appearances for New York, scoring 51 goals and making the MLS All-Star team on four separate occasions. After retiring, he has been a pundit for CBS while also having various spells in coaching — ranging from Montreal to the France Olympics team at the Summer Games.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR HENRY?

The France legend signed a new contract to remain at CBS alongside Kate Abdo and former Premier League legends Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. After leaving his job as France U23s manager, his coaching future remains up in the air.