10 Questions for Thierry Henry

David Clerihew / Red Bull New York
Thierry Henry

Why did you choose New York?

Arshia Mobarghaei, TEHRAN

I always wanted to live in this town. It has always been a dream, since I was young. In New York it seems like there's no Monday or Saturday or Sunday. The town is always moving. The vibe is great.

It has been said that American soccer is just paid retirement for seasoned European players. Is this why you chose to play across the pond?

Blair Stokes, WESTON, FLA.

No, because retiring is stopping. If I wanted to stop, I would have stopped. I didn't come here for the money. I'm not in need of money. I came here to try to see if I can compete with my team and win titles. That's always been my aim since I started to play.

How have you adjusted to playing in a country where soccer is not the dominant sport?

Antonio Smith, BROOKLYN

It's kind of cool that you can go out and not get attention and not get bothered. [I don't mean that in] a bad way, but it's better to not be on the front page or back page of the newspaper. I will not go back to that for anything in the world. I personally don't really like it.

How would you rate the MLS in comparison with the soccer you played in Europe?

Lahiru Perera, AUCKLAND

It's difficult to compare leagues. One thing I've been happily surprised by is the way the team wants to play football here. I have to say, all the teams that we have played, they wanted to pass the ball and play on the ground. You have a lot of decent players here who could play in Europe.

Do you think the U.S. will ever become a soccer nation?

Antonio Abdalla, SÃO PAULO

Baseball and American football and hockey are all ahead because they have a history. The MLS is kind of new. So hopefully, in time, and with players coming and trying to develop the game, and the U.S. team also doing well--at the last World Cup, they finished above England and created some buzz. You need that history behind the sport.

It has been almost a year since that World Cup qualifying game between France and Ireland. Do you regret the handball?

Andrew Goodwin, DUBLIN

I don't even have to talk about that anymore. It's part of the past. It's also almost a year that [Ireland's] Robbie Keane got a penalty against Georgia that was never a penalty. Ireland won, and nobody cried for Georgia. That's the way the game is sometimes. You're on the line, the ball's going to pass you--unfortunately, it's a bad reflex: you put out your hand. It goes your way sometimes, sometimes it doesn't.

How do you feel about being compared to David Beckham?

Erin Kwon, PORTER RANCH, CALIF.

To be honest, I don't even know why people are comparing me to him. We don't play in the same position. We don't do the same thing on the field. I think the one thing people should have in their mind is that everybody is here to try to make this game progress in the U.S. We're not here to have an individual competition.

What do you think about racism in football?

Sila Eser, IZMIR, TURKEY

Time.com

10 Questions for Thierry Henry

The soccer star crossed the Atlantic to join the New York Red Bulls. Thierry Henry will now take your questions