"In the MLS there is money, but they also appreciate you as an athlete - something we don't have in our country"

Former Israel national team defender Dadi Ben Dayan, who played for the American Colorado Rapids among others, went on air on the 103FM sports program to address the influx of Israeli players to the MLS, the advantages of the league in the United States, its level, and whether the move to the USA can help the Israel national team.

Ben Dayan first addressed the advantages offered by the American league and the lives of players in the United States, saying: "Today they brought Messi, so they brought me to raise the level there" (laughs). "Mainly, the top players enjoy football there because in their day-to-day life they are not driven crazy. They walk down the street. You see Messi in Miami; I saw in videos that he comes out of a supermarket and people just say 'Hi Messi'. In Barcelona he couldn't walk, he was always under tight security. There he walks freely, with his children, and they also enjoy the surroundings."

He added: "Of course there is a lot of money, and at the end of the day they appreciate you as an athlete, something we don't have in our country yet. There they appreciate you first and foremost for the investment. I remember my coach in Colorado; after the game he would say to us: 'Thank you very much for the investment', regardless of the result. We don't have that in our country and it's a pity. Regarding the young players from the Israel national team, they see their potential and invest a lot of money in them because they think they can upgrade the American league in the coming years — and that is beautiful."

Later, Ben Dayan expanded on the influx of Israeli players to the American league and emphasized that the large number of legionnaires might actually be positive: "Back in the day, when I was on the Israel national team, they would say we didn't have enough legionnaires. Today there are many, so now they say it's not okay? The fact that they train with world-class players and play against players at the world top is already good for all the players and it can help a lot."

When asked if the MLS upgrades the Israel national team, Ben Dayan replied: "Especially in the sense that they play and train at a higher level than the Israeli league. We tend to underestimate a bit; Americans are athletes first and foremost — physicality, athleticism, speed. They might not have the technique that the Israeli player has, but everything else they have big time. The level, the facilities, the surroundings, everything related to football, it's at the highest level there is. The most advanced technologies."

Ben Dayan also added, comparing the experience of playing in the United States to that in Israel: "If I go to play against Miami, compared to going to play, no offense, in Sakhnin or against Maccabi Petah Tikva, when there are 2,000 spectators in the stadium, then it's not the same as going to play against a world-class player with 40,000 spectators in the stadium, even if that player is 36 years old. Do you know how many players of the US national team are in the local league? Look at the US national team."

Finally, Ben Dayan addressed the possibility that the MLS will serve as a transit station for Israelis on the way to the top leagues in Europe: "The players who lead the US national team are either in Germany or in England. Our Israelis will find it difficult to make that leap, but it is achievable. If Turgeman and Baribo score 25 or 30 goals every year, I am sure it will catch the eyes of scouts from Europe. The American player who succeeds does go to the top leagues in Europe."