Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has explained why Thierry Henry was a better footballer than Oliver Giroud.

The debate on who is the better player between the two France legends came up today following Giroud’s new goal record.

The AC Milan striker scored his 52nd international goal for France in their 3-1 victory over Poland in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

He equaled the record when he scored twice as France thrashed Australia 4-1 in the group stages and scored one more to set a new record on Sunday.

Stam believes that there were many things Thierry Henry did with the ball, such as scoring freekicks, his pace, dribbling, and easily opening up defenses, which Giroud is not capable of.

“I would say that if you’re talking from the perspective of who is easier to defend against, I’ll say it’s easier to defend against a player like Oliver Giroud compared to Thierry Henry.

“This is because Thierry Henry had the ability to pick pockets and open up defense." He has the ability to move forward and dribble and use his pace very well…

“Giroud is more static, and of course once he goes into the box, he uses his position well, but he’s easier to defend against as a defender,” he said on SuperSport.