While many football players from the States have headed across the pond to England to play, there have been just as many Englishman who has gone the other way.
These soccer stars have made a name for themselves at the MLS and college levels. While some may be unknown names right now, they are gearing up to be massive stars of the future.
Kieran Gibbs
A name familiar to Premier League and Arsenal fans, Kieran Gibbs; after leaving Arsenal in 2017, the defender played at Norwich and West Brom before moving to Inter Miami last season.
Although his team isn’t doing well, Gibbs has been able to instill the years of knowledge and skill he gained playing at the highest level of English football.
Ashley Fletcher
Ashley Fletcher is a product of the Manchester United academy and has played for Barnsley, West Ham, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland. He is currently on loan at MLS giants New York Red Bulls while on the books at Watford.
The youngster has only made one appearance for the Red Bulls so far, but with so much to give, his loan spell is sure to turn into a purchase.
Jonathan Bond
A player who has spent almost all of his career in England, Jonathan Bond has been on the books at Watford, Brackley, Bury, Forest Green Rovers, Reading, Peterborough, and West Brom. He moved to LA last season and now plays for the Galaxy.
While the goalkeeper is in the latter half of his career, in his 36 appearances for the Galaxy, he has managed to keep an almost 50% clean sheet ratio, pulling off some seriously impressive stops.
Mo Adams
Mo Adams, who played for Derby County and Nottingham Forest in his youth, made the move over to the USA. He has since played for Boston United, Reading United, Chicago Fire, Atlanta United, and now plays for Inter Miami.
He has only made five appearances for Inter since making his move there. However, his impact is becoming more and more evident on the pitch.
Kimarni Smith
Kimarni Smith started his professional football career playing for the Nottingham-based team Basford United. On 1st January 2016, he moved to Sheffield United, where he spent two seasons.
He has subsequently played for Greenville FC and is signed to D.C United. He is currently on loan at Loudon United, where he has scored two goals in 19 appearances.
Jack Price
Jack Price spent seven years playing for Wolves, making 97 appearances for the club. He also spent seasons on loan at Yeovil Town, and Leyton Orient, before swapping the UK for Colorado in 2018.
Price has played for the Rapids ever since, becoming a stalwart in their midfield, making 104 appearances, and even pocketing a couple of goals in the process.
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris has already played across the globe for such a young player. Born in Middlesbrough, his father is Terry Harris, who once played for Sheffield United. He moved to Hong Kong at 10 and played for Hong Kong FC before getting a scholarship and moving to Wellington in New Zealand.
He played for Wellington Phoenix for four years between 2014 and 2018 before taking a hiatus from football. He was signed by FC Cincinnati in 2021 and has made 16 appearances for the club.
Dru Yearwood
Dru Yearwood started his football journey at Arsenal’s youth academy in 2007. He then moved to Southend United youth in 2011 before making his debut for the first team in 2017. He then played for Brentford between 2019 and 2020 before heading to New York.
He has 49 appearances in total for the first and second teams, and at only 22 years old, he still has a long career ahead of him.
Anton Walkes
Anton Walkes has spent most of his career playing in both the UK and the US. He spent his youth career at Spurs and then spent two seasons in their first team between 2016 and 2018.
He spent time on loan at both Portsmouth and Atlanta United before signing for Pompey in 2018. He spent two seasons there, then spent a season at Atlanta United. He now plays for Charlotte FC, making three appearances since signing for them in January.
Tyler Blackett
Tyler Blackett had a bright start to his Manchester United career in 2012 before failing to make an impact on the first team. Before signing for Notts Forest and Reading, he had loan spells at Blackpool, Birmingham, and Celtic.
He moved to FC Cincinnati in 2021, where he has subsequently made 16 appearances for the club and has scored one goal. At 28, he still has time to turn his career around in the States.
