Top-10 Players to swap Europe for America
Top 10 Footballers who moved from Europe to MLS
Football in America is rapidly growing, despite it known as soccer out there, and after USA’s impressive showing in both the male and female World Cups, the sport is continue to flourish out there.
In fact, the MLS is attracting some big names to the league with players leaving European leagues in order to join, and this summer has been no different.
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo are the latest stars to swap Europe for America and they will certainly feature on our top-10 list.
Didier Drogba has also just completed a move to America so will certainly be on a future list.
But who fills up the other seven spots? Time to find out which stars swapped Europe for MLS.
Starting at number-10.
10. Tim Cahill
Starting our list is Everton legend Tim Cahill.
The Australian international swapped England for America back in 2012 after he agreed to join New York Red Bulls, ending his eight year association with The Toffees.
Cahill became a Merseyside legend at Goodison Park, but his career came to an end there when he agreed to leave in order to join the MLS side.
During his two years in America, Cahill made 62 MLS appearances, scoring 14 goals.
However, the 35-year-old left the MLS this summer after agreeing to join Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.
9. Frank Lampard
This guy needs no introduction.
A Premier League legend decided to leave England last year after agreeing to join New York City of the MLS.
However, with the new club forming in America, Frank Lampard returned to the Premier League on a season-long loan to Manchester City, who own the new MLS side.
Lampard has finally left England and is now getting ready to start his MLS venture.
The 37-year-old will be remembered for his time with Chelsea after spending 13-years there before being released.
He made over 400 Premier League appearances and leaves the club’s highest ever goalscorer.
8. Robbie Keane
In eighth place it’s Robbie Keane.
The Irishman was one of the first big names to leave Europe for the MLS as he agreed to join LA Galaxy back in 2011.
After spells in England with Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, Keane agreed to leave the Premier League in order to join the American revolution.
During his four years in America, Keane has made just shy of 100 league appearances for LA Galaxy, scoring 62 goals.
He briefly returned to England in 2012 when he went on loan to Aston Villa.
7. David Villa
Another impressive striker makes our list and it’s no other than David Villa.
The footballing legend joined New York City in 2014 and has since made 18 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
Villa made his name in Spain, with spells at Valencia and FC Barcelona, but in 2013, he left the Nou Camp for Atletico Madrid, where he spent a year at before moving to America.
The 33-year-old will be looking forward to having Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo playing behind him.
6. Andrea Pirlo
Speaking of Andrea Pirlo….He makes it to sixth on our list.
The footballing legend has left Italy for the first time in his career and will start his MLS venture this season.
Pirlo, who had successful spells at AC Milan and then Juventus, agreed to leave the Serie A champions this summer in order to experience one last challenge in his career.
Pirlo playing alongside Frank Lampard will be a treat for all football lovers.
5. Ricardo Kaka
Another star midfielder who made the move to MLS last summer makes it to fifth on our list.
Kaka currently plays for Orlando City and has made 19 appearances for them, scoring nine goals.
The Brazilian playmaker made his name in Italy with AC Milan before earning himself a mega-money move to Real Madrid. Sadly for the midfielder, he failed to shine in Spain and returned to the San Siro just four years after leaving.
After spending one more year back at Milan, Kaka agreed to join Orlando City.
4. Alessandro Nesta
Footballing royalty at number-three.
Alessandro Nesta will go down as one of the greatest ever centre-backs to play the game, and he also swapped Europe for America at one point in his career.
After spending 10-years at AC Milan, Nesta agreed to leave the Italian club in order to join Montreal Impact. In 2012 he was announced as their new player and he spent one season at the club, making 31 appearances.
However in 2014 he left in order to join Indian side, Chennaiyin.
3. Steven Gerrard
One of the all-time greats in Premier League history.
Steven Gerrard surprised the footballing world when he announced that he would be leaving boyhood club Liverpool at the end of the 2014/2015 season.
The midfielder then announced that he would join MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of his contract.
Emotional scenes took place at the end of last season as Gerrard bid farewell to Anfield and the Liverpool faithful, but he’s now another name on the rich list of stars to swap Europe for America.
2. Thierry Henry
Another alright Premier League player now.
Okay, maybe alright is underselling him.
Thierry Henry, the greatest Premier League striker of all-time, agreed to join New York Red Bulls after leaving Spanish giants FC Barcelona.
He was a marquee signing for the MLS at the time, following a certain David Beckham in completing a move to America in order to help the game out there.
Americans quickly fell in love with the Frenchman and he certainly proved that he was still capable of magical moments during his time there.
Henry retired last summer and is now working for Sky Sports News as a pundit.
1. David Beckham
You could say David Beckham was the first big, big star to join the MLS.
The Manchester United legend certainly helped raise the game in America when he agreed to leave Real Madrid for LA Galaxy back in 2007.
Beckham then spent five years in America, but had a few loan spells back to Europe in that time.
He ended his playing career in France with Paris Saint-Germain, but he will also be remembered for boosting the reputation of football/soccer in America.