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Over the course of the last 10 years, the MLS has grown in popularity and stature. Although several established players still opt to move to the United States to see out their careers with a big pay cheque, the league has witnessed considerable development at the grassroots level as well.
Due to the significant strides made by soccer in the United States, several European clubs have kept a close eye on the talent emerging from the region in the last decade.
Not all Americans have taken the MLS route
Some players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Giovanni Reyna were deemed so good by foreign clubs that they were poached straight from their youth teams. All of them have benefitted massively from their moves to Germany, with Pulisic and McKennie fetching a combined transfer fee of over €80 million following their switch to Chelsea and Juventus, respectively in recent years.
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But since the aforementioned trio did not play a single minute of the MLS, their inclusion on this list might not make much sense. Keeping that aspect in mind, here are 10 of the best MLS exports from the last decade (2011-2021).
#10 Tim Ream (Fulham)
The centre-back was the first player to secure a transfer away from the MLS in the past decade. Ream, who made his MLS debut for the New York Red Bulls in 2010, quickly established himself as one of the best ball-playing defenders in the league.
In addition to starting all of the New York Red Bulls' matches in the regular season, Ream also helped the team lift the Eastern Conference title. Following his exploits in the MLS, it did not take long for Premier League clubs to notice his potential.
Bolton Wanderers eventually snapped him up on a three-and-a-half-year deal. Unfortunately, Ream was unable to help Bolton avoid relegation in his debut season. But eventually, the MLS export redeemed himself and was named player of the year for two straight seasons in 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Since joining Fulham in 2015, Ream has secured promotion to the Premier League twice with the west London club. Despite the Cottagers failing to retain their Premier League status for another year on both occasions, Ream went on to make 33 appearances for the club in the top-flight. The 33-year-old is currently in the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage.
#9 Geoff Cameron (FC Cincinnati)
Cameron made his MLS debut for the Houston Dynamo back in 2008. During his first season at the club, he helped Dynamo qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs, where they lost in the semi-finals.
Slowly but steadily, the defender rose to prominence in the MLS with Dynamo and his performances earned him a spot in MLS All-Star games against Premier League clubs Everton and Manchester United in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
However, it was in England with Stoke City that he really enjoyed his best football following the move away from the MLS in 2012. Cameron was an integral member of the Stoke side under Tony Pulis and his successor Mark Hughes.
The American notched up 186 appearances in all competitions during his six-year stint with Stoke, before moving to Queens Park Rangers initially on loan and then on a permanent deal.
After three seasons at Loftus Road, where he even captained QPR, Cameron returned to the MLS with FC Cincinnati earlier this year. The 36-year-old has already registered two assists in 10 appearances so far in the MLS Eastern Conference this term.
#8 Zack Steffen (Manchester City)
Following his sophomore season with the Maryland Terrapins, Steffen put pen-to-paper on a professional contract with SC Freiburg in Germany. However, the American had to ply his trade with the reserve team in the German fourth-tier and never really made the cut for the first team at Freiburg.
Steffen then returned to his homeland by joining MLS outfit Columbus Crew in 2016, just a year after his move to Germany. The shot-stopper then earned his stripes with the Crew, where he guided the club to the MLS Conference finals in his debut season.
Despite losing in the final to Toronto FC, Steffen bounced back comprehensively the following season and was named MLS goalkeeper of the year. Soon after, Premier League champions Manchester City took notice and lured him to the top-flight in England.
Since his return to the Etihad after a loan spell with Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga, Steffen has remained an able deputy to Ederson. Even though the majority of his appearances have come in cup games, the former MLS star has added a Premier League and League Cup title to his trophy cabinet.
#7 Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)
The Colombian striker arrived in the MLS back in 2009, when the Seattle Sounders edged ahead of Real Betis to secure his signature. Despite arriving on loan, Montero quickly established himself as one of the mainstays in the side.
During the opening game of the season against the New York Red Bulls, Montero netted a brace and registered an assist. Notably, he also became the first-ever goalscorer in the history of the Sounders. Eventually, Montero completed a permanent transfer from Deportivo Cali to his homeland.
After three prolific seasons in the MLS, where he netted 44 goals and registered 27 assists, Montero left on loan to Milllonarios in Colombia. But it was at Sporting in Lisbon that he made a real mark outside the MLS.
Montero, who spent a season on loan before joining Sporting permanently, scored a hat-trick on debut for the Portuguese club. Although he left for the lucrative Chinese Super League after almost three seasons in Portugal, Montero made his mark with Sporting. The striker scored 46 goals and grabbed 18 assists in 131 appearances for the club, meaning he had a goal contribution in almost every two games.
Montero is now back in the MLS with the Seattle Sounders, where he has an enviable record of 63 goals and 34 assists in 173 appearances.
#6 DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray)
Yedlin made his MLS debut for the Seattle Sounders back in 2013. The full-back established himself as a hot-prospect in his debut season, where he made 37 apppearances across all competitions. Notably, the then 20-year-old was also the first player since Michael Parkhurst in 2005 to be named in the MLS All-Star team during a debut season.
Tottenham Hotspur came calling for his services soon after and Yedlin agreed a four-year contract with the Premier League club. However, the American failed to break into the first team at Spurs and notched up just one appearance.
The former MLS sensation then resurrected his career on Wearside in the north of England during a loan stint with Sunderland before joining their rivals Newcastle United on a permanent deal in 2016. Yedlin spent five years on Tyneside with Newcastle, making 125 appearances for the club.
Earlier this year, the defender joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract at Newcastle.
#5 Cyle Larin (Besiktas)
The Canadian marksman was tipped to have a bright future from a very young age, thanks to his versatile skill-set. Larin can play anywhere across the front-three and is also equally adept at holding the ball up and bringing his teammates into the game.
Despite interest from an unnamned European club, Larin began his senior career in professional soccer with Orlando City in the MLS. The forward enjoyed a scintillating start to life in the MLS, and went on to score 17 goals in 27 games, including two hat-tricks. Larin deservedly won the MLS 'Rookie of the Year Award' as well.
In each of the next two seasons, Larin hit double figures for goals in the MLS. Due to his impressive performances, Turkish giants Besiktas snapped him up on a permanent deal. Larin was not an instant success in Turkey and netted just five goals in his first two seasons with Besiktas.
However, riding on the confidence from an excellent season on loan at Zulte Waregem in Belgium, Larin returned to his best last term. The 26-year-old was joint-second top scorer in the SuperLig with 19 goals as Besiktas were crowned league champions. After finally settling down in Besiktas and rekindling his devastating form, Larin could soon be aiming for the stars.
#4 Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig)
The midfielder came up through the ranks at New York Red Bulls and made his MLS debut for the club in 2016. Adams, who is naturally a deep-lying midfielder, can also slot in at right-back and right midfield if required.
Courtesy of his stellar performances for the Red Bulls, Adams earned his big move away from the MLS in 2019. Bundesliga club RB Leipzig came calling to acquire the services of the versatile midfielder from their sister club in the United States.
The 22-year-old was troubled by a few injuries during his first two seasons at Leipzig, but he has grown in confidence more recently. Adams notched up 37 appearances in all competitions last season. Notably, the MLS export also scored the winner against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League as Leipzig secured a semi-final berth in the 2019/20 edition.
With age on his side, there are surely signs that suggest Adams could become a household name in Europe in the future.
#3 Miguel Almiron (Newcastle United)
The Paraguayan midfielder took the MLS by storm following his arrival from Lanus in Argentina during the winter of 2016. Atlanta United spent $8 million for his signature and Almiron proved he is worth his weight in gold.
During his debut season, Almiron netted nine goals and registered eight assists for his teammates in 31 appearances in the MLS. Although Atlanta lost in the MLS Cup playoffs, Almiron was named 'Newcomer of the Year' for the season.
It was over the course of the following season that Almiron delivered his best performance in the MLS. The creative midfielder netted 12 goals and provided 13 assists as Atlanta went on to lift the MLS Cup in only their second year of existence.
Due to his sparkling form, Newcastle United ended up signing Almiron on a club-record deal, which also made him the most expensive MLS transfer of all-time. Since arriving on Tyneside in 2019, Almiron has scored 13 goals and notched up five assists in 91 appearances for the Magpies.
#2 Jack Harrison (Leeds United)
The Englishman has had an interesting journey to the Premier League. Harrison moved to the United States as a teenager to finish his schooling and eventually ended up being a professional in the MLS.
Although his debut for New York City FC came in a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of rivals New York Red Bulls, Harrison stood out with his promising individual performance off the bench. The winger then scored on his first start for the club and has not looked back ever since.
Harrison netted 14 goals and registered 10 assists in 55 MLS appearances across two seasons. Sensing his potential, Manchester City decided to offer him a way back to England. The Premier League giants loaned Harrison to Middlesbrough straight after signing him, but the winger was restricted to just four appearances at the Riverside Stadium.
Then came his move to Yorkshire with Leeds United, where he spent three fruitful seasons on loan before joining permanently earlier this month. Under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, Harrison has come on leaps and bounds. In addition to helping Leeds return to the Premier League after a 16-year-exile, the 24-year-old netted 18 goals and registered 20 assists in 128 appearances across competitions.
#1 Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern Munich)
Born inside a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents, Davies has enjoyed a proper rags-to-riches story in football. His family eventually decided to move to Canada, which is where Davies made the first step into professional soccer.
After impressing for local clubs in Edmonton, Davies was picked up by the Vancouver Whitecaps. He initially played for their reserve team in the USL but was tipped to make the jump immediately, thanks to his glaring potential.
Davies soon became the second-youngest player, behind Freddy Adu, to debut in the MLS in 2016. Since he predominantly played further up the pitch in the MLS, Davies racked up goals and assists, drawing attention from several European clubs.
Ultimately, Bayern Munich secured his services for a then record-fee for an MLS player in 2018. Still only 20, Davies has slowly but steadily established himself as a regular at the Allianz Arena over the last few seasons. With over 84 appearances for the Bundesliga giants in three seasons, Davies is rightly regarded as the future of the club and quite easily the greatest talent to have emerged from the MLS.
